Educational Travel Consortium
The Educational Travel Consortium
supports the advancement of lifelong learning programs through travel. We do this with timely, relevant, and professional conferences and training plus facilitated member connections and resources.
ETC’s Annual Conference
Feb 3-6, 2020
Chattanooga, TN
A professional home for those who work in educational affinity travel
Nichole McGrew is the Associate Director for the University of Washington Alumni Tours program where she manages tour sales, customer service efforts, and stewardship for the UW Alumni Association. Prior to her current role, McGrew worked in product development & operations for several years at Globus, an international tour operator for the Globus, Cosmos, Avalon and Monograms Family of Brands. Before transitioning into tourism, she led strategic marketing and communication efforts in Colorado for organizations in corporate, non-profit and government industries, including Arapahoe County’s Open Space, Parks, & Trails department. Having grown up in Australia, she enjoys international travel, as well as hiking, dancing, and reading. McGrew is a graduate of the University of Denver.
Steve Wellmeier is Managing Director of Poseidon Expeditions USA, a polar expedition cruise operator. He has 35 years of experience in marketing and communications, public affairs, crisis media management, and member association management in the cruise and tour industry. Steve has served as executive director of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO); public affairs liaison at the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) 9/11 World Trade Center Recovery Office; and vice president of marketing at INTRAV/Clipper Cruise Line. Steve holds an MA in English Literature from the University of Cincinnati and a BA in English Literature from Saint Louis University.
Padgett Arnold is co-owner and director of sales & customer relations at Sequatchie Cove Creamery along with her husband, cheesemaker Nathan Arnold. Her first career as a market gardener and active member of the local food and farming community in Chattanooga, TN lead into farmstead cheese. Their passion for regenerative agriculture & food with a relationship to the land lead Padgett and Nathan to Italy for Slow Food’s Terra Madre in 2004, where their interest in cheese and its unique expression of place was born. She and Nathan founded the Creamery in partnership with Sequatchie Cove Farm in 2010, where they began making raw cow’s milk cheeses originally inspired by the traditional Alpine styles of Europe, with a new vision to capture the character and flavors unique to their particular part of Tennessee. Padgett’s role in the business is tied to the people – from the dairy & creamery staff to customer service and business administration. Her goal is to create a thriving agricultural enterprise founded on ethically crafted food with utmost respect for farmland, natural resources and the humans & animals behind the products.
Diana Lee Crew is currently a consultant to nonprofits and for profit educational organizations focusing on developing strategic relationships and consulting in a variety of capacities. Some of her more recent work includes sales consulting and product implementation training with StudySync, an innovative reading and writing Educational Technology company; photography and video work, including recent ETC conferences. From September 2005 to January 2010 she served as Director of Strategic Partnerships with Immersion Learning in Mystic, CT, which was founded by oceanographer and explorer Dr. Robert Ballard as a state-of-the-art communications and robotics technology program bringing yearly ocean-going research expeditions live to school kids, museums, science centers, aquariums, and participating Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Previously, she worked at the JASON Foundation of Education, where she spent over nine years as its Director of Sales for a leading science distance learning program. Prior to JASON, she was with the Denver Museum of Natural History for 18 years, where she developed and directed its museum travel and youth education programs, managed an active travel program, and was an institutional co-founding sponsor of the Nonprofits in Travel Conference, now evolved to ETC, and co-designer of the early Nonprofits in Travel Conference agendas. She also served as President of the Rocky Mountain Direct Marketing Association. She holds an M.A. in Public Information and Communication from the University of Denver and a B.A. from Scripps College in Claremont, CA
JD Harper is a Literary Advocate, Author, Health Care Professional, Outdoor Enthusiast, History Buff and Bookworm
She has enjoyed a career in Physical Therapy for over 25 years, volunteered as co-coordinator of the Chattanooga Youth Gallery, served as board member for the Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (CADAS), volunteered with KelCurt Foundation, mentored with TNAchieves Scholarship program, and spends her free time outside reading, gardening, scuba diving, writing, climbing, and hiking.
Her goal is to promote the joys of literature to young adults in Chattanooga through seminars, book writing, and sharing stories about how she discovered an unshakable love for reading.
The power of reading is invaluable. From expanding education to creating empathy, she has always cherished the opportunity to continuously grow through literature. She want to ensure these positive life experiences endure in Chattanooga’s younger generations.
Glint, serves as an outlet where she could release creative energy while simultaneously promoting readership to a young adult audience through historical fiction adventure.
Amy Spear’s love of traveling started as a small child, when her parents began the quest to take her to almost all 50 states in the nation, along with Canada and Mexico. Then, as a young adult, she had the exciting chance to live and work abroad in several cities throughout Europe. After returning to the United States, she began a dynamic career in the travel industry working for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation (NCVC) as part of the vibrant sales team that skyrocketed Nashville to the top of travel destinations. After 7 ½ years at the NCVC, Amy received the exciting opportunity to become Director of Sales for Sweet Magnolia Tours- the American South’s premier receptive tour operator. Amy’s passion is to bring visitors to the South, specifically Tennessee, where she was born and has lived most her life. When asked what Amy loves most about her job, she says “I love planning trips and tours where visitors can experience the fantastic genuine ‘Southern hospitality,’ rich cultural history, fabulous authentic music scene and delicious southern cuisine that encompasses many of the things I love about my great state of Tennessee!”
Donna is a native of Chattanooga. Her parents helped her discover her love of travel when they explored Jamaica in the 1960’s for a vacation. She has continued traveling from group tours to Europe, the USA, Canada, and the UK to backpacking through Europe and the UK. After a career as a teacher and educational consultant, Donna graduated from the International Travel Management Institute. She has been leading tours in Chattanooga and beyond since 2017. She has her Washington, DC and New York City guide licenses. She has led student tours on the east coast. She has led adult tours in the US South and Northeast.
Spearheading Sustainability: Duke University Master Students’ Project
Tuesday, February 4, 12:50-1:30 pm
Annabelle Mercer is a biologist turned corporate sustainability strategist. Having spent several years researching the world’s rarest plants and animals, she is now dedicated to understanding how we can use the resources of the private sector to protect the planet’s biodiversity. Annabelle works with companies to measure and manage their environmental impact, pairing her passion for the environment with business management know-how. Annabelle received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Duke University in 2017, and is now eagerly continuing her Duke experience as a Master of Environmental Management Candidate studying Business and Environment.
Samantha Burch is focused on using the power of impact strategy and communication to help drive sustainable business. She is currently pursuing a Master of Environmental Management degree, specializing in both Business and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Prior to graduate school, she worked as an International Education Professional at UGA, where the intersection of sustainability and travel (and its tangled supply chain!) first peaked her interest. Through her Master’s Project, she’s gained further insight into the travel world and is now dedicated to redefining how we travel through: improved standardization practices, strategic partnership development, and effective marketing and communications. Samantha earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies and International Studies at Elon University (’16).
Courtney McCorstin is a Master of Environmental Management Student pursuing a concentration in Business and the Environment with a specialization in Conservation Management. She is an environmentalist at her core, with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and minors in Sustainability and Water Resources. Her passion for travel became apparent as she was working as a conservationist on a Game Reserve in South Africa. She discovered the way to connect her passion for wildlife and experience in business was through travel. It was for this reason that she decided to pursue a Master’s Project focused on Sustainable Travel.
Facilitator: Beth Ray-Schroeder is Director of Duke Alumni Travels in the Office of Alumni Affairs at Duke University. At Duke since 2005, Ray-Schroeder has also alumni education initiatives and priorities of the alumni travel program. She now organizes more than 40 educational travel programs annually, which comprise vendor itineraries and in-house customized programs showcasing unique Duke entities and are led by Duke faculty. Prior to coming to Duke, Ray-Schroeder lived and worked in Spain and Germany for 17 years. She held positions as a software developer in Madrid, as international systems project manager at Deutsche Lufthansa AG in Frankfurt am Main, and as an organizational consultant in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science and the equivalent degree in Psychology from Duke University, and a M.S. in Organizational Psychology from Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. Ray-Schroeder is currently serving on the ETC Executive Advisory Council representing the interests of alumni association travel planners in the southeastern United States.
Facilitator: John Francis is former Vice President for Research, Conservation and Exploration at National Geographic Society. A marine biologist and National Geographic grantee, John began his career studying behavioral ecology of seals and sea lions on remote islands in North and South America. A film on his work led to his role as a producer of wildlife films, covering everything from chimps and tigers to whales and sharks. From that he took on the grant making side of National Geographic supporting explorers around the world and pushing their stories through diverse NG media. Outside of his National Geographic Society responsibilities, Francis served on boards and committees for the US National Park System, the Commission for Education and Communications of the IUCN, and the US National Commission for UNESCO. He now serves on Sustainable Travel International and the Congo Basin Institute boards and advises the NG/Lindblad Fund supporting marine projects visited by shipboard travelers. John has a deep commitment to communication of the potent ties between humans and the rest of the natural world and is currently focused on citizen science and sustainable tourism as two key engines for change. John holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Behavioral Ecology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Tony Rango has been a staff member of the Sierra Club since 1992 and currently serves as the Director of National Outings and Program Safety.The National Outings program offers more than 300 domestic and international trips annually, led exclusively by volunteers. In 2000, Tony created and developed the Sierra Club’s first national training program for outing leaders. Since then, the program has trained and fielded thousands of leaders and volunteers. He initially got involved with the Sierra Club because of his job, but he soon began leading for the program and training future leaders. He has led numerous Sierra Club trips including backpacking, rafting, biking, kayaking and trekking trips. Tony currently serves on the ETC Executive Advisory Council representing national non-profit organizations and advising on the Risk Management sessions. www.sierraclub.org/outings/adventure-travel
Michel LaRivière is the International Marketing Specialist for Travel Manitoba in the Business Development department with a focus on the United States and Canadian market. Michel is responsible for assisting with the delivery of domestic, national and international sales initiatives aimed at building relationships with tour operators, travel agents, incentive buyers and tourism partners. He possesses 13 years of experience working in the tourism industry and has as worked for Travel Manitoba as the partnership and visitor experience specialist. Michel possesses a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Manitoba with a double major in Marketing and Management. He is also fully bilingual in French and English and has completed the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Leadership Winnipeg program. He is an avid photographer and cyclist and volunteers his time coaching youth soccer. LaRivière is a new member of the Executive Advisory Council and represents ETC Destination constituents. www.travelmanitoba.com
Mary Ann Huntis the Director of the Travel-Learn program at Tufts University. Prior to her arrival at Tufts in September, 2017, she worked at Dartmouth College in the Alumni Travel program for ten years. She also worked at the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College from 2000-2007, where she managed public events and oversaw exhibition logistics. She has a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin in Art History, with specializations in ancient art, archeology, and classical civilizations, and she is currently working on a Master’s degree in Creative Writing with a concentration on travel and memoir writing. www.alumniandfriends.tufts.edu/explore-education-travel/travel-learn-program
Lauren Summers is the Senior Director of Lifelong Learning and Travel at the Yale Alumni Association. Prior to that she was the Director of Marketing for Visit Wales in North America, the official government sponsored tourism board for Wales. She has more than 18 years of experience including marketing, public relations, event planning and business management. At Visit Wales, she manages trade sales and marketing, as well as PR and consumer campaigns for the United States and Canada. Prior to this position, Summers was the general manager of a small hotel in Cambridge, Mass., where she worked while completing her master’s at Harvard Divinity School. At Harvard, she studied the healing traditions of indigenous world religions while playing host to the scholars, researchers, academics and activists from around the world who stayed in her hotel. As a result, she discovered her passion for the tourism and hospitality industries. Summers had previously founded and run her own communications agency based in New York City. Her clients included entertainment, corporate and nonprofit organizations such as Levi’s, Disney and the international Acapulco Film Festival, along with a number of Grammy Award winning artists, Oscar winning performers, bestselling authors and other celebrities. In addition to her M.A., Summers holds an undergraduate degree in Public Relations and Marketing from Hampton University. Summers currently serves her last year on the Executive Advisory Council. www.ivy.yale.edu/yet/
Emilie LaRosa is the Assistant Director for Penn Alumni Travel and Education at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) where she is responsible for all alumnitour marketing, development customer service, and operations. Since she began at Penn in 2012, the program has expanded to serve more than 400 travelers on 25 trips annually with robust educational offerings. Penn Alumni Travel is committed to collaborative and engaging tours and works closely with the University’s 12 schools and centers, including the Wharton Business School and the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Prior to her work at Penn, LaRosa was a development officer at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and a museum educator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Phillips Collection in Washington, D. C., and the Cloisters in New York City. In addition to her travel expertise, LaRosa has interests in: art and architecture, medieval history, photography, and the perfect latte. LaRosa earned both her B.A. and M.A. in Art History from the University of Notre Dame and the George Washington University, respectively. www.alumni.upenn.edu
Bill Bennett has served as director of alumni travel at the Indiana University Alumni Association since December 2014. Branded as IU Travels, the travel program at the IUAA aims to bring alumni, faculty, and students together to continue their educational experience through international and domestic travel. Prior to his current role he was an Assistant Vice President and program manager of the Prime Time bank loyalty travel program for Monroe Bank where he oversaw the bank’s affinity travel program and served as a product manager and development officer for the over 55 market. Bill serves on a multi-university advisory council for Go Next and Oceania Cruises. He is also a professional photographer and enjoys sharing his travel photography and experiences with local service organizations and retirement communities. He enjoys time with his two children, cycling, hiking, and cooking. Bill is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany and has his MBA from Sage Graduate School in Albany, NY. This is Bennett’s first year on the Executive Advisory Council representing Travel Planner colleagues from Midwest State Schools. www.alumni.indiana.edu
Beth Ray-Schroeder is Director of Duke Alumni Travels in the Office of Alumni Affairs at Duke University. At Duke since 2005, Ray-Schroeder has also alumni education initiatives and priorities of the alumni travel program. She now organizes more than 40 educational travel programs annually, which comprise vendor itineraries and in-house customized programs showcasing unique Duke entities and are led by Duke faculty. Prior to coming to Duke, Ray-Schroeder lived and worked in Spain and Germany for 17 years. She held positions as a software developer in Madrid, as international systems project manager at Deutsche Lufthansa AG in Frankfurt am Main, and as an organizational consultant in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science and the equivalent degree in Psychology from Duke University, and a M.S. in Organizational Psychology from Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. Ray-Schroeder is currently serving on the ETC Executive Advisory Council representing the interests of alumni association travel planners in the southeastern United States.
Andrea Holbrook is President of Holbrook Travel, Inc. Her start in the travel industry began at a young age, accompanying her parents on expeditions such as hiking the Inca Trail and butterfly-collecting with lepidopterists in rainforests around the world. After graduating from Columbia University with a major in English literature in 1991, she spent almost two years working in Costa Rica at Selva Verde Lodge and Private Reserve—a nature sanctuary in the Sarapiqui region, founded by her family in 1985. Andrea stewards Holbrook and Selva Verde Lodge and is President of the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center, an organization that strives to connect communities and sustainable development through educational programs and rural tourism in Costa Rica. She also serves on the Board of Climb for Cancer and recently joined the Board of the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), an organization dedicated to increasing the positive global impact of responsible tourism. Andrea feels fortunate to play an active role in connecting cultures, supporting knowledge and appreciation for biodiversity, and finding innovative ways to foster responsible travel. She lives in Gainesville, Florida with her husband and high-school-aged daughter. www.holbrooktravel.com
Adrian D’Amico, Esq., M.B.A., is a practicing corporate attorney specializing in building leading legal technology solutions for global law firms and international companies. He currently serves as a legal technology consultant for Thomson Reuters. Adrian has practiced in-house technology law for some of the world’s largest organizations, including FedEx, where he was instrumental in billion-dollar technology negotiations. In addition, in 2008, Adrian started his own successful digital marketing and web services firm, E3 Media, LLC, providing solutions for some of the largest brands in the northeast of the United States. He is also a successful social media content creator, with an audience of over 95,000 visitors. Adrian earned his B.A. from Emory University and then simultaneously earned his juris doctorate and Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. His academic specializations include corporate law, software licensing law, information technology management, and strategy management. He currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA.
Debbie Vargo has been the Director of Alumni Tours for The Ohio State University Alumni Association since 2008 after beginning as the manager in 2001. She and her two colleagues manage approximately 30 trips per year performing all aspects of the registration and communications processes with alumni travelers to maximize affinity-building and working with numerous tour operators in on-the-ground execution. Prior to Alumni Tours, she spent the first 14 years of her career working on behalf of college students, including six years as director of student recruitment for the Alumni Association. During her tenure with Alumni Tours, she has been to numerous, amazing countries with experiences ranging from cheering on the Iditarod in Alaska, to appreciating cherry blossom season in Japan, to shopping for stackable dolls in Russia, to eating haggis in Scotland, to drinking Chianti in Italy, and so much more! Debbie lives in Columbus with her husband Bill, dog Piper, and enjoys gardening, traveling, reading, and a good laugh. Her life is greatly enriched by her family and friends. Debbie graduated from both Ohio University and The Ohio State University.
Rob Fure is Director of Lifelong Learning at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. While teaching American literature and modern poetry at Washington and Lee, Fure taught in the University’s Institute for Executives, a humanities program for corporate executives. Inspired by such opportunities for lifelong learning, Fure proposed a new department for the creation and management of continuing education programs for adults and pre-college youths. The office was reorganized as the Office of Lifelong Learning in 2018. He is irrepressibly enthusiastic on the subject of educational programming for adult learners. In 1982, he established the Washington and Lee Alumni College, which features educational programming for alumni and friends both on campus and abroad. Fure received his secondary and collegiate education in Illinois and Michigan, and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in English at the University of California, Berkeley. He served as President of the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors’ International. He also served on the ETC Executive Advisory Council. He is now a member of the ETC Emeritus Council and has frequently spoken at the annual conference.
Janet Moore founded Distant Horizons in 1985 to combine her passion for travel with her love of learning. Since its first program for the Denver Art Museum in 1986 to China, Distant Horizons has operated hundreds of customized programs for institutions including Harvard University, Johns Hopkins and the Nature Conservancy. Many of Distant Horizons’ programs are aimed at donor groups providing a high level of access and curated experiences. Prior to starting Distant Horizons, Janet obtained a Master’s in Public Policy at the University of Michigan. During her undergraduate and graduate studies, she worked as a tour manager for the American Council for International Studies, organizing High School programs for students and teachers in Europe. In 1983 she moved to Los Angeles to open their California office. For the last several years she has been voted as part of the “A-LIST Travel Operators” by Travel and Leisure Magazine. She has contributed to NPR’s “The World” and is frequently interviewed by prominent national newspapers on travel issues. Janet lives by the ocean in Long Beach, CA and is married to physician David Larson and has four children. Janet has held numerous board positions including the Downtown Long Beach Alliance and the Intellectual Virtues Academy.
Bridget St. Clair is the Executive Manager Princeton Journeys, Princeton University. Bridget brought her extensive background in both international experiential learning and higher education program administration to the Princeton Journeys team in 2015. Previously, she served as a senior program officer for the Foreign Fulbright Program at the Institute of International Education in New York, where she was responsible for all aspects of program operations. Prior to her tenure at IIE, she worked at Travel Weekly magazine in Sydney, Australia. An intrepid explorer, enthusiastic runner, daily meditator and self-professed ‘old soul,’ Bridget is an alumna of the University of Miami and holds a Master’s in International Studies from the University of Limerick in Ireland.
Katherine Redington is the Vice President of Social Impact Journeys and Business Development at Elevate Destinations where she oversees all institutional travel for non-profits clients including donor trips, impact investing trips, board retreats, political will journeys, and charity challenges. She has worked on over 120 donor trips and delivers presentations and workshops throughout the United States to help non-profits maximize the positive benefits from these journeys. Prior to her current role, she worked at Visions Global Empowerment supporting post-conflict teacher training in Sri Lanka and social enterprise financing for tourism development programs that benefit those living at the bottom of the economic pyramid. She also worked for Rustic Pathways as a Country Manager overseeing all aspects of their educational travel program in Fiji. Katherine believes that donor travel can be a catalyst for positive transformation for non-profit organizations and local communities if done thoughtfully and responsibly. She holds a Masters in International Education and Development from Columbia University and is certified by the UNWTO in sustainable practices for tourism development. She lives in Washington D.C. with her family and can be found creating Halloween costumes for her family and friends year-round!
Jonathan Tourtellot specializes in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship. He works to help destinations and NGOs combine tourism, stewardship, and sense of place into a sustainable strategy and communicate it accordingly. Jonathan runs the nonprofit Destination Stewardship Center (DSC), successor to the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations that he founded and ran 2001-2010. A senior editor for three decades, he now blogs for National Geographic and other media, and collaborates on the new short-form video series World’s Inspiring Places. He is a member of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO, the international Sustainability Leaders Research Panel, and the National Press Club. Mr. Tourtellot has addressed numerous groups, including the U.N. World Tourism Organization, UNESCO, the World Bank, and the World Travel and Tourism Council. Recently he has focused on the growing challenge of overtourism and governance issues related to it, providing talks, webinars, and contributions to an upcoming book on the topic. He originated the concept of the geotourism approach, “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.” An education at both Phillips Exeter Academy and Antioch College instilled a mixed Ivy-League/counterculture perspective helpful in the world of tourism and its impacts. When not traveling, he divides his time between Washington, DC and his home on a mountainside near Lovettsville, Virginia.
Dr. Anu Taranath brings both passion and expertise to her work as a speaker, facilitator and educator. A professor at the University of Washington for the past 18-years, she teaches about global issues, race, gender, identity, and equity. A four-time member of Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, she has also received the Seattle Weekly’s “Best of Seattle” recognition, the UW’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and multiple US Fulbright Fellowships to work abroad. As a racial equity consultant and facilitator, Dr. Anu deepens people’s comfort with uncomfortable topics to work toward greater equity and social justice. Her new book Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World was named one of Fodor’s Travels best “13 Books to Inspire Your Travels,” featured in YES!, AFAR, and Bitch Media, the national podcast “To the Best of Our Knowledge,” and “Travel with Rick Steves” radio program.
Caliopy Glaros is a fundraising and intercultural communication expert who helps organizations transform their donor engagement strategies through international travel. She has designed and delivered customized trainings and workshops at some of the biggest universities and medical institutions in the state of Oregon. In her day-to-day consulting work, she supports executive directors, development officers, travel planners, and boards in creating trips that put donors in direct contact with the causes they champion. Caliopy understands that a successful donor travel program needs expert fundraising strategy, smooth logistics, and intercultural acumen. Caliopy has on-the-ground experience in over thirty countries and has facilitated programs in more than fifty nations on five continents. She is a certified trainer in Intercultural Communication, experienced public speaker, and Chair of the Association of Fundraising Professional’s Diversity Committee. As a former third culture kid, Caliopy speaks three languages and has perpetual difficulty answering questions like “where are you from?” She currently lives between Portland, Oregon; Taipei, Taiwan; and Ikaria, Greece where she enjoys spending time with her partner, daughter, and a bevy of Greek, Taiwanese, and American relatives.
Dan Stypa serves as a Director of Sales with Orbridge. Prior to joining Obridge in the summer of 2019, he served as the Associate Director of Alumni Programs at Rice University (Houston, TX) where he worked for nearly 8 years. Stypa was responsible for the Rice Alumni Traveling Owls program, as well as all other lifelong learning and international engagement initiatives and managed affinity and constituency groups. Prior to his role at Rice, Stypa worked at the University of South Florida and coordinated faculty engagement programming for on-campus residential students. Stypa has presented at a variety of national, regional and statewide conferences. He is passionate about dogs; he has two of his own – Frieda and Knightro – and is active with K-9 Rescue Angels – a nonprofit dog rescue committed to rescuing and rehoming dogs in the greater Houston area. Stypa is originally from Ohio and has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Bowling Green State University (OH) and a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from the University of Tennessee.
Kathy Edersheim is the President of Impactrics, an international alumni relations consulting company. Prior to forming Impactrics, she was Senior Director of International Alumni Relations and Travel at the Yale Alumni Association. Her responsibilities included managing Yale Educational Travel, which offers about 45 faculty-led trips a year. Her broader international responsibilities incorporated the Yale Global Alumni Leadership Exchange (YaleGALE) which, since 2008, has taken alumni delegations to many countries in Europe, Africa and Asia to share best practices in alumni relations with universities, and the Yale Alumni Service Corps, which takes Yale alumni, family, and friends to work in underserved communities providing supplementary education programs, public health education, micro-business consulting, and light construction to support and inspire the communities. Prior to joining Yale, Ms. Edersheim served as President of the Yale Club of New York City, worked as a Financial Consultant and as a marketing professional. She has an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a B.A. from Yale University.
Catherine Hansen-Stamp is an attorney in private practice in Golden, Colorado. She advises recreation, adventure, sport and/or experiential program providers and related organizations on law, liability and risk management issues. Hansen-Stamp speaks and writes frequently on these issues, both regionally and nationally. She has presented at the Annual Wilderness Risk Manager’s Conference since its inception in 1994, and is currently on the Steering Committee. She co-authors articles regularly (with Charles ‘Reb’ Gregg) for American Camp Association’s CampLine. She has authored a variety of other publications as well. Her clients have included camps, schools, outfitters and guides, dude ranches, ropes and challenge course builders and facilitators, tripping programs, resort owners, science and environmental programs, competitive event sponsors and others. Hansen-Stamp graduated from The Colorado College in 1981 and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Wyoming in 1985. She is a member of both the Wyoming and Colorado Bar Associations and currently serves on the University of Wyoming College of Law Advisory Board.
John Francis is former Vice President for Research, Conservation and Exploration at National Geographic Society. A marine biologist and National Geographic grantee, John began his career studying behavioral ecology of seals and sea lions on remote islands in North and South America. A film on his work led to his role as a producer of wildlife films, covering everything from chimps and tigers to whales and sharks. From that he took on the grant making side of National Geographic supporting explorers around the world and pushing their stories through diverse NG media. Outside of his National Geographic Society responsibilities, Francis served on boards and committees for the US National Park System, the Commission for Education and Communications of the IUCN, and the US National Commission for UNESCO. He now serves on Sustainable Travel International and the Congo Basin Institute boards and advises the NG/Lindblad Fund supporting marine projects visited by shipboard travelers. John has a deep commitment to communication of the potent ties between humans and the rest of the natural world and is currently focused on citizen science and sustainable tourism as two key engines for change. John holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Behavioral Ecology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Rodney E. Gould is a partner at the law firm of Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo in Lincoln, MA. Mr. Gould has practiced in the travel law arena for over 40 years. He represents tour operators and other travel professionals located in many countries, as well as trade associations, in all aspects of travel-related law. He has taught at various Massachusetts area law schools as an adjunct professor. He has written and lectured extensively on travel-related issues before numerous groups and associations. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, several United States Courts of Appeals, many United States District Courts, and the courts of Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and California, and he has litigated travel-related cases in numerous states as well as serving as an expert witness in many travel litigations throughout the country. Mr. Gould graduated from Columbia Law School magna cum laude, was an editor of the Law Review and a James Kent Scholar. He graduated from Colby College, cum laude, after being elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Heather Hardwick Rhodes is CEO and co-founder of TravelStyles LLC, a market research and strategy consulting firm that serves the travel and tourism industry exclusively. She is also the owner and lead author of the TravelStyles® multi-client research program–a family of quantitative consumer studies conducted since 1986 with international pleasure travelers in selected markets including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Rhodes has more than 20 years of travel industry experience as a strategy consultant, helping travel organizations identify, assess, and realize opportunities for growing market share. She has directed dozens of consulting engagements focused on strategic planning, market assessment, branding and positioning, and product development for destinations, tour operators, cruise lines, airlines, and other providers of travel services in the Americas, Europe, Pacific Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Rhodes has unparalleled knowledge of travelers’ motivations, behavior, and attitudes, and a particularly strong expertise in the educational, health and wellness, adventure, river cruising and group travel segments. She is a frequent speaker at industry events; this is her 15th year speaking at ETC. Rhodes is a graduate of Stanford University.
Máirtín de Cógáin from Cork, Ireland gets no more joy out of life than the telling of stories. Twice All Ireland Champion storyteller, he has been traveling the world telling the tales of Ireland, singing the ballads of old and playing his Bodhrán (Irish Drum). He has played with his own musical groups; The Fuchsia Band, Gailfean & The Máirtín de Cógáin Project, was asked to play with The Chieftains, Cherish the Ladies & Gaelic Storm, threaded the boards off Broadway with his own show De Bogman and shone on the silver screen in the epic movie The Wind That Shakes The Barley. Máirtín was brought up in a bilingual house, earned a Degree in the Irish language from University College of Cork and is a fluent speaker of Gaelic. http://www.mairtinmusic.com
Dr. Janet Ferguson is the Executive Director of the Lifelong Learning Centre, Bermuda College. Prior to her current role, Dr. Ferguson designed and facilitated workshops and learning events for a wide cross-section of private and public sector clients in the United Kingdom and Bermuda. In addition to her current work in curriculum development and administration for late-life learning, she is interested in the exploration of the distinctive nature of the learning and developmental experiences of mature adults. Dr. Ferguson has taught extensively in multiple jurisdictions and holds graduate qualifications in Commonwealth Area Studies, Marketing and Teaching and Course Design for Higher Education. Her doctoral degree is in the area of Continuing Education (Warwick, 1998).
Dawn Rodney is Vice President Innovation and Chief Marketing Officer for the National Wildlife Federation. She is responsible for leading innovation, amplifying brand awareness, creating new revenue streams, developing content, and transforming the organization’s current catalog and licensing divisions. Prior to joining the National Wildlife Federation, Dawn was Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand for the National Geographic Society. Dawn was responsible for leading the global brand, engaging digital natives across the world on all platforms, launching new digital products, and driving awareness of National Geographic’s science, education, and storytelling priorities. While at National Geographic, Dawn also led strategic marketing and creative for the National Geographic Channels. She was integral to building and launching NGC, Nat Geo WILD, and Nat Geo Mundo – transforming them from start-up networks to global, world premiere brands. Dawn also had various supervising producing positions at Animal Planet and Discovery Health. She started her career as a producer at local television stations. Dawn has won many industry awards for her work including an Emmy Award for National Geographic’s “Next Generation of Explorers” campaign and Webby Award for Best Homepage. Dawn is a graduate of Duquesne University.
Todd Duncan is the Director of Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness for the Sierra Club where he manages operational risk and crisis response. Prior to this role, he served two years as the Director of Safety and Student Life for the School for Field Studies (SFS), a university international semester abroad provider which [expand title=”offers”] hands-on environmental learning to students. He has also served with the Wildlife Conservation Society as manager for Glover’s Reef Marine Research Station in Belize. Todd has guided and directed adventure, research, and education programs on six continents. He is a native of Montana and graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Brian Anderson is the Training and Development Manager for Sierra Club National Outings. In his role, he creates, manages, and leads training of new volunteer trip leaders as well as continuing education for current trip leaders. For the development part of his work, he designs custom trips and crafts new trip ideas for National Outings to pursue. Before the Sierra Club, Brian was the Assistant Director of Wellness and Recreation at Regis University in Denver, Colorado, where he oversaw student and professional staff that ran programs in outdoor recreation and physical fitness. Years in the field as a whitewater rafting guide, adaptive ski instructor, rock climbing, and backpacking guide have given him a well-rounded history of field and office work from various organizations. Brian graduated with his Bachelor’s degree from Western Colorado University and Masters from Regis University.
Marc McPherson, ETC official Videographer, is a Filmmaker and Creative Director at Fresh Cut Studios. He first worked with the ETC team in 2013 during their EAC Meetings in Alberta and has been shadowing and filming their every move ever since. Marc graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, which included a semester abroad at the Universidad de Alicante in Spain. At the beginning of his career, Marc gained a vast amount of international TV and film production experience working in Canada, the UK and United States as a Filmmaker. Now, he combines his background in filmmaking with his communications & cultural studies skills to create video based communications, marketing and eLearning for a number of companies and organizations locally and abroad. Marc is a drummer, soccer player and loves to hike in the mountains with his wife Lauren and son Miles.
Alicia Stevens is a PhD candidate and Gates/Cambridge Scholar in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge in the UK, researching the heritage of colonialism and authoritarianism in Myanmar. She is also a recipient of the National Geographic Explorers grant to look at the effects of climate change on the cultural heritage of coastal communities in Southeast Asia. Prior to Cambridge, she was director of global programs at Columbia University in New York City, and director of AMNH Expeditions at the American Museum of Natural History, where she was also senior advisor for global business development (traveling exhibitions and capital projects). Ms. Stevens spent her early career at the Smithsonian Institution as an international seminar coordinator and at the Chief Executives Organization as director of education. Her work has taken her to more than 120 countries and she has consulted on cultural heritage and educational tourism for the countries of Nepal, Mongolia, El Salvador, and the Philippines, as well as for the World Bank, the United Nations, and The Today Show. She has served as a judge for the sustainable tourism award programs of both the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Explorers Club and the Educational Travel Consortium (both Emeritus) and is a member of the Oxford and Cambridge Club in London. Ms. Stevens holds an M.Phil. in Archaeology from the University of Cambridge, an M.S. in Communications from Columbia University, and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.
Bethany Morris, Leading Member Engagement, Resources & Communication, joined the team in 2014 with a broad professional background including association management, digital marketing, website content management, membership support, and event planning. Bethany’s past roles include Proposal Coordinator for a nation-wide environmental remediation company, Director of Member Services for an international non-profit organization, and Communication Consultant for a variety of clients. She volunteers extensively in her community and has served on the Boards of state and regional wildlife conservation organizations in the positions of Treasurer, Secretary, and Vice President. Currently, she volunteers her labor at a local farm, assists at the neighborhood elementary school, and organizes a civil discourse round table. Bethany enjoys cooking, traveling, reading, and anything that allows her to be outside in her beautiful home state. For questions about your membership, Contact Bethany.
Lisa Douma, Leading Member Service & Finances, has served as the ETC Community since 2003. If you have attended the ETC conference you have met and talked with Lisa as she handles all the registration correspondence and payment questions pre/on site and post conference. At ETC 2013 the community paid tribute to Lisa’s ten-year run as the Registrar par excellence! She is also a mother of four who take up the rest of her time. Once in a while Lisa does find time for hiking in the beautiful Mission Mountains with trail-heads literally outside the back twenty of the TLC main offices. A native Montanan, Lisa lives in the beautiful Mission Valley Charlo, MT on the Flathead Reservation. For questions about your registration and payment, Contact Lisa.
Carole Erickson, Conference Director and Partner Liaison, has served the ETC Community since 2005. She enjoyed a 40-year career as a healthcare administrator, professional market/development director, customer service consultant and meeting planner. After retiring from full-time administration management in 2003, she now has her own consulting business providing internal organization assessments, customer service training and all aspects of conference development and management. Appointed by three Montana Governors, Carole served on several medical licensing boards and was the recipient of a national award for outstanding service and leadership to the field of medical regulation from the Federation of State Medical Boards in 2017. Carole is a fifth-generation Montanan and enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with family and friends. For questions about sponsorship or partner benefits, Contact Carole.
What’s New in Social Media for Travel?
Wednesday, February 5 – 8:45-9:45am
Biography:
Sree Sreenivasan is a leading consultant, speaker and trainer for nonprofits, corporations, startups and executives, specializing in digital innovation and social media. He was named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2015; the world’s most influential Chief Digital Officer by CDO Club in 2016; and one of Poynter’s 35 most influential people in social media in 2010. In the last year, he’s worked internationally with Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District; UNHCR, the UN refugee agency; the Pulitzer Prizes; Louvre Abu Dhabi; TheWrap entertainment news; U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum; American Museum of Natural History; and the National Ballet of Canada, to name a few.
Sree has been Chief Digital Officer of major institutions in multiple industries: City of New York; Columbia University; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Before joining the Met, he spent 20 years as a full-time professor at his master’s alma mater, Columbia Journalism School. He was recently named the inaugural Marshall R. Loeb Visiting Professor of Digital Innovation at Stony Brook University School of Journalism. Sree is delighted to return to ETC after a gap of three years.
Abby Jansen Busdeker, Leading Special Projects, joined ETC in 2013 as Program Planner. With extensive experience in the educational travel market, she was thrilled to return to the educational travel community. Abby formerly managed the daily operations of the Northwestern University Alumni Travel Program for six years. During her tenure, she traveled to six continents and hosted more than 250 passengers. A highlight of her time at Northwestern was serving on the ETC advisory council. Prior to working at Northwestern University, Abby worked at CDW Incorporated as a sales account manager. She received an M.A. in liberal studies from Northwestern and a B.A. in history from Miami University. A native of Ohio, Abby currently resides in Cincinnati with her husband and three children.
Peter Yesawich biannually returns to ETC with his latest appearance as a keynoter at ETC 2015. Along with Stowe Shoemaker and Robert C. Lewis, he is the co-author of Marketing Leadership in Hospitality and Tourism: Strategies and Tactics for Competitive Advantage now in its 4th edition.
Lois Geller, returning keynote speaker for ETC 2013, shares the latest direct marketing tips and techniques in the age of the Internet.
Blog, archives, and tips
Forbes
Response sold here!
Customers for Keeps sold here!
Direct Marketing Techniques sold here!
Art Markman is the Annabel Irion Worsham Centennial Professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin and Founding Director of the Program in the Human Dimensions of Organizations. Art has written over 150 papers on topics including reasoning, decision making, and motivation. He brings insights from cognitive science to a broader audience through his blogs at Psychology Today, Fast Company, and Inc and his radio show/podcast Two Guys on Your Head produced by KUT radio, the NPR affiliate in Austin. Art has written several books including Smart Thinking, Smart Change, and Habits of Leadership. His latest book, written with his podcast co-host Bob Duke is called Brain Briefs.
Peter Greenberg is the nation’s preeminent expert on travel and travel-related issues and an Emmy award-winning writer, investigative reporter, and producer with more than 11 million miles of direct experience under his belt, covering thousands of stories in hundreds of countries around the globe. His newest book, The Best Places for Everything: The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to the Greatest Experiences Around the World is the definitive guide for thrill-seekers and armchair travelers alike. No matter what’s on readers’ wish lists, they will always end up in the perfect spot.
Lee Cockerell, one of our best-received keynote speakers at ETC 2012, has published The Customer Rules. This follows his first book, Creating Magic.
Andrew McCarthy is an editor at large at National Geographic Travelermagazine. He has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Afar, Bon Appetit, Town & Country, and Men’s Journal, among others. The Society of American Travel Writers named him “Travel Journalist of the Year” in 2010. His travel memoir, The Longest Way Home, became a New York Times bestseller, with the Financial Times of London naming it one of the Best Books of 2012. Though he ventures from the treacherous slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro to an Amazonian riverboat and the dense Costa Rican rain forests, McCarthy’s real journey is one of the spirit.
David Meerman Scott‘s The New rules of Marketing & PR, is now available in 25 languages. A prolific author, marketing strategist, advisor to emerging companies, and professional speaker on marketing, social media and leadership topics, Scott devoted his ETC 2013 keynote presentation to what he has laid forth in this book.
Don George is currently Editor at Large for National Geographic Traveler. National Geographic has called Don George “a legendary travel writer and editor.” George has been Travel Editor for the San Francisco Examiner and Salon.com, and Global Travel Editor for Lonely Planet. He has visited more than ninety countries on six continents, has published hundreds of articles in dozens of magazines and newspapers around the world, and regularly speaks, teaches, and consults at conferences, campuses, and companies from San Francisco to Singapore to London. George’s most recent book is the highly acclaimed The Way of Wanderlust: The Best Travel Writing of Don George. He has been exploring new frontiers as an author, editor, and adventurer for almost four decades, and is also an acclaimed teacher, speaker, and tour leader. He has received dozens of awards for his writing and editing, including twelve Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers. He is a highly sought-after speaker, workshop leader, and consultant nationally and internationally on travel and social media. George is co-founder and host of the award-winning San Francisco-based reading series Weekday Wanderlust, and co-founder and chairman of the celebrated Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference. He is a graduate of Princeton University and the Hollins College graduate program in creative writing.
Peter Shankman is the founder of ShankMinds: Breakthrough, an online community of business professionals from around the world who come together to give and get advice, increase their business, and improve their lives. Shankman is also the founder and CEO of The Geek Factory, Inc., a boutique Social Media, Marketing and PR Strategy firm located in New York City, with clients worldwide. His Customer Service and Social Media clients have included American Express, Sprint, Sheraton, Walt Disney World, Abercrombie and Kent, The Ad Council, Discovery Networks, Napster, Juno, Harrah’s Hotels, and many, many others. An author, entrepreneur and corporate keynote speaker, this “worldwide connector” is recognized worldwide for radically new ways of thinking about customer service, social media, PR, marketing, advertising, and ADHD. Shankman has authored five books including his latest, “Zombie Loyalists: Using Great Service to Create Rabid Fans.” A marketing pundit for several national and international news channels, including Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, he is frequently quoted in major media and trade publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Daily News, The Associated Press, Reuters and USA Today. He is a graduate of Boston University.
Keith Bellows, Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Travel Media, was one of ETC 2013’s keynote speakers. His newest book is 100 Places That Can Change Your Child’s Life. The book was released in 2013.
Pico Iyer is a Distinguished Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, a longtime essayist for Time magazine, and a constant contributor to dozens of other magazines worldwide. He is also the author of many books including Video Night in Kathmandu, The Man Within My Head, Abandon, and The Open Road. Mr. Iyer spoke at ETC 2006, the year of the 20th anniversary of the Conference, and returned to keynote in 2015.
Pico Iyer is a Distinguished Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, a longtime essayist for Time magazine, and a constant contributor to dozens of other magazines worldwide. He is also the author of many books including Video Night in Kathmandu, The Man Within My Head, Abandon, and The Open Road. Mr. Iyer spoke at ETC 2006, the year of the 20th anniversary of the Conference, and returned to keynote in 2015.
Brian Skerry is a photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater environments. Since 1998, he has been a contract photographer for National Geographic Magazine. He was a keynote speaker for ETC 2014. With his book, Ocean Soul, Brian showcases his stunning photography and describes his adventurous life in a gripping portrait of the ocean as a place of beauty and mystery.
Spearheading Sustainability: Duke University Master Students’ Project
Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 12:50-1:30pm
Biography:
John Francis retired as Vice President for Research, Conservation and Exploration at National Geographic Society. A marine biologist and National Geographic grantee, John began his career studying behavioral ecology of seals and sea lions on remote islands in North and South America. A film on his work led to his role as a producer of wildlife films, covering everything from chimps and tigers to whales and sharks. From that he took on the grant making side of National Geographic supporting explorers around the world and pushing their stories through diverse NG media. Outside of his National Geographic Society responsibilities, Francis served on boards and committees for the US National Park System, the Commission for Education and Communications of the IUCN, and the US National Commission for UNESCO. He now serves on Sustainable Travel International and the Congo Basin Institute boards and advises the NG/Lindblad Fund supporting marine projects visited by shipboard travelers. John has a deep commitment to communication of the potent ties between humans and the rest of the natural world and is currently focused on citizen science and sustainable tourism as two key engines for change. John holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Behavioral Ecology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
A Voice for the Voiceless
Tuesday, February 6, 2020 – 8:45-9:30am
Biography:
Joel Sartore is a photographer, speaker, author, teacher, conservationist, National Geographic fellow and regular contributor to National Geographic magazine and National Geographic Photo Ark Founder. His hallmarks are a sense of humor and a midwestern work ethic.
Sartore started the Photo Ark some 11 years ago in his hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska. Since then he’s visited 40 countries in his quest to create this photo archive of global biodiversity. Sartore has produced several books including RARE: Portraits of America’s Endangered Species, Photographing Your Family, and two new National Geographic Photo Ark books: The Photo Ark and Animal Ark.
In addition to the work he has done for National Geographic, Sartore has contributed to Audubon magazine, Life, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated and numerous book projects. Sartore and his work have been the subjects of several national broadcasts, including National Geographic’s Explorer, NBC Nightly News, NPR’s Weekend Edition, Fresh Air with Terry Gross and the PBS documentary series, Rare: Portraits of the Photo Ark. He is also a regular contributor on the CBS Sunday Morning Show.
Sartore graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in journalism. He currently lives in Nebraska with his wife and children.
Dan Stypa is the director of sales for Orbridge, a leading travel operator based in Bainbridge Island, WA. In this position, Stypa partners with non-profit educational travel planners and fellow Orbridge staff members to provide engaging and immersive experiences across the globe to travelers who are affiliated with over 140 different alumni associations and non-profit organizations. Previously, he was Associate Director of Alumni Programs at Rice University (Houston, TX). where he was responsible for managing the Rice Alumni Traveling Owls program, as well as all other lifelong learning and international engagement initiatives. In his time at Rice, the Traveling Owls doubled the number of trips offered and program participation has grown over 100%. He has led groups to places such as Tanzania, China, Cuba, Italy, the Baltic Sea, and more. Prior to that, Stypa worked at the University of South Florida and coordinated faculty engagement programming for on-campus residential students. Stypa has presented at regional and statewide CASE Conferences and serves on the Greater Houston Partnership Commission. He is passionate about dogs; he has two of his own – Frieda and Knightro – and is an active volunteer with K-9 Rescue Angels – a nonprofit dog rescue committed to rescuing and rehoming dogs in the greater Houston area. Stypa is originally from Ohio and has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Bowling Green State University (OH) and a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from the University of Tennessee. Stypa became a member of the Executive Advisory Council in 2016 and he represents Southern region private schools. http://alumni.rice.edu/travelingowls
Martin Ludwig serves as the Director of Travel for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, where he manages a travel program of more than 35 tours a year. His professional career spans more than 25 years of work in education. Before joining the Georgia Tech Alumni Association staff, Ludwig spent eight years as a high school teacher in New Orleans. It was there that he first started organizing student trips to destinations throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe. In 1997, he moved to Atlanta and was in charge of volunteer management and class fundraising for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association’s Annual Fund. In 2001, he took the position of Director of Travel and has gradually increased the program from 10 to 35+ trips a year. A native of New Orleans, Ludwig has a B.S. in business administration from the University of New Orleans and attended graduate school for secondary education at Loyola University in New Orleans. Ludwig has attended the Educational Travel Community conference for most of the last 14 years. He served on the ETC Executive Advisory Council and is now a member of the ETC Emeritus Council. www.gtalumni.org
Amy Kotkin served as Director of Smithsonian Journeys, the Institution’s educational travel program from 1994 through 2013. She is now co-chair of the Smithsonian Alumni organization and speaks frequently on art history topics to audiences nationwide for the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s distance learning program, Artful Connections. Amy is on the National Board of The Transition Network, a women’s organization focused on supporting women through significant life changes. Currently, she is also co-chair of the Fund for Education Abroad’s annual gala, raising funds to provide under-represented college students with scholarships to study outside the US. She writes monthly drama reviews for DC Metro Theater Arts, highlighting Washington, DC’s lively theater scene, and is a member of ETC’s Emeritus Council.
Rodrigo Esponda is Managing Director at Los Cabos Tourism Board and is the former North America Regional Director for the Mexico Tourism Board.He has been working as a tourism official for the past 17 years: first, at the National Trust Fund for Tourism Development (FONATUR) in Mexico City; and since 2000, at the Mexico Tourism Board where he has served as: Deputy Director in New York City, Director for the U.S. Midwest, and Director for Canada. Esponda was an adjunct faculty member of the Tisch Center for Hospitality at New York University, where he taught tourism planning and product development. He earned a degree in Architecture from the National University of Mexico and a Master in Public Administration from Columbia University. Esponda served on the ETC Executive Advisory Council representing the interests of Destinations and is currently an ETC Emeritus Council Member. visitmexico.com
Joemy Wilson is a tour director and the author of “Coming Up on Your Left: A Tour Guide’s Guidebook.” She has led tours on five continents and traveled to all seven. For Academic Arrangements Abroad, Wilson has managed study trips to such destinations as Ireland, Egypt, and the Galapagos. During her twelve years at Tauck World Discovery, she led tours in Russia, Japan, South Africa, the Alps, the Western Mediterranean and other destinations. She assisted Tauck with new program development in Europe and Africa and aided the program operations department as Regional Operations Assistant with logistics for European tours. Wilson has taught at ITMI (the International Tour Management Institute) since 2000. She serves as a docent for The Glendale Historical Society at the Doctors’ House, a Queen Anne-Eastlake Victorian house museum. A firm believer in busman’s holidays, Wilson traveled to Churchill, Manitoba, last November with Frontiers North Adventures to photograph polar bears. She and her husband will explore Morocco on a study tour with Road Scholar in March 2015. Wilson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Barnard College.
Richard Louv is a journalist and author of eight books about the connections between family, nature, and community. His latest book is “The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder” (May 2011, Algonquin), offering a new vision of the future, in which our lives are as immersed in nature as they are in technology, was preceded by his best seller. “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder” (Algonquin), translated into 10 languages and published in 15 countries, has stimulated an international conversation about the relationship between children and nature.
Last Child in the Woods sold here!
The Nature Principle sold here!
Richard Louv is a journalist and author of eight books about the connections between family, nature, and community. His latest book is “The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder” (May 2011, Algonquin), offering a new vision of the future, in which our lives are as immersed in nature as they are in technology, was preceded by his best seller. “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder” (Algonquin), translated into 10 languages and published in 15 countries, has stimulated an international conversation about the relationship between children and nature.
Last Child in the Woods sold here!
The Nature Principle sold here!
Clint Laurent, PhD, is Founder and Managing Director of Global Demographics Ltd, formerly Asian Demographics Ltd. Dr. Laurent moved to Hong Kong in 1976, initially with Hong Kong University and then as a Director of Price Waterhouse, where he built a market research and consultancy group. His book, Tomorrow’s World, maps out the world’s near future through the lens of demography.
Peter Russell Voll
July 3, 1943 – December 14, 2012
Below is a draft of the obituary that Peter’s wife Suzanne submitted to the San Francisco Chronicle:
Peter Russell Voll passed peacefully at his home in Palo Alto on Friday, December 14, 2012. He was surrounded by his wife and four children. He was known as “Pete” to his family and friends and as “Papa Pete” to his seven grandchildren. Peter is survived by his wife of 34 years, Suzanne Hardt Voll, mother Alva Stanford, stepmother Nona Voll, daughters Vicki Voll of Capitola and Sara Voll of Hawaii, stepson Jay Backstrand of Palo Alto, step daughter Kendall Nash of Mill Valley, grandchildren; Ian, Kaylor, O’rian, Alden, William, Jay, and Dylan, and by brothers; John Voll, Bob, Tom, and David Staniford, and step sister Lynne Chase. Peter was an avid reader and never missed his daily New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and San Francisco Chronicle. He was passionate about travel, politics, history, culture, and good food.
Born July 3, 1943 in Imperial Valley, CA, Peter grew up in the town of Coalinga in the San Joaquin Valley and was a proud fourth generation Californian. In high school, Peter was Student Body President his senior year and a gifted athlete. He competed in track, football, and basketball and was the conference high jump champion in 1961. He was also the starting quarter back his senior year, and had a lifelong love of football that he shared with family and friends.
In 1962, Peter moved to Palo Alto, CA to attend Stanford University. After receiving his B.S. in political science in 1965, he worked as a campaign consultant in eight Congressional races, the 1972 Presidential Primary, and a 1982 U.S. Senate race. In 1972 Peter joined the Stanford Alumni Association as a marketing executive for the Stanford Alpine Chalet and soon after became the Business and Advertising Manager of the Stanford magazine. In 1974 he became director of the Association’s fledgling Travel/Study Program, where he spent the next 18 years developing it into one of the premier alumni travel programs in the United States.
Peter’s professional vision was to open the roads to understanding of different societies and cultures through tourism. In 1992 he left Stanford to devote full time to Peter Voll Associates (PVA), which was merged in 2002 with another educational tour operator, High Country Passage. During his career, Peter designed and implemented more than 200 different educational tours to U.S. and worldwide destinations. He launched a number of travel industry firsts including tourist trips to the People’s Republic of China, alumni tours to Burma (now Myanmar), and tours to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 2002-3, PVA operated several trips to Cuba for alumni associations and museums. In 2007 Peter organized the first Global Warming and Climate Change Symposium in the Russian Arctic on the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov, led by Tom Brokaw and Forrest Sawyer. In 2009 he designed the first World Leaders Symposium in the Arabian Gulf led by former Secretaries of State and Defense James Baker III and William Perry. Peter also served as a consultant in developing itineraries and educational tours for a number of tour companies, including Special Expeditions (now Lindblad Expeditions), Clipper Cruise Line, TCS Expeditions, and Zegrahm Expeditions.
After retiring from High Country Passage, Peter served as a consultant to the National Geographic Society and the Discovery Channel in the development of their travel programs. He set up and managed the Chief Executives Organization’s cruise program in the Arabian Gulf and was advisor to the FORTUNE Global Forums Cultural Tours. Peter was dedicated to his field and his community and had deep sentiment for his family and roots. He was a two-time member of the Advisory Council of the Educational Travel Conference, served on the Travel Committee of the Commonwealth Club of California, and was for decades a devoted member of the Palo Alto University Rotary Club. He was married for 34 years to Suzanne. Suzanne was his constant companion, providing tremendous support to Peter throughout his career. Peter loved his family deeply. He was a cherished friend and respected mentor to many of his colleagues. His enthusiasm to know and understand the world he lived in was contagious. His family and friends find solace in knowing that Peter is just off scouting another amazing trip. He will be missed.
Memorial donation suggestions:
Foundation for College Education
The Rotary Foundation, Rotary Centers for Peace and Conflict Resolution
Stanford Historical Society
Holbrook Travel is an experienced provider of educational, natural history, and specialty travel programs to groups and individuals. Major channels of distribution include educational institutions, nature and birding organizations, alumni associations, and a wide array of special interest and affinity groups.
Our primary areas of expertise are Central and South America, Africa, and Polar Regions. Countries such as Costa Rica, Belize, Chile, Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, Peru, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa are some of the places in which we create our own programs through direct negotiation. Holbrook also owns and operates Selva Verde Lodge and Private Reserve in Costa Rica.
The ideal candidate would be passionate about educational travel and hold a strong belief in the value of travel for experiential learning. Candidates could come from a variety of backgrounds; teaching, travel, non-profit, development, and natural resources. Experience with educational travel, being technologically savvy, able to travel, and have ties to educational communities – these are all important ingredients.
The position on our Sales consulting team requires a broad range of skills and an organized and motivated individual. Applicants must have excellent verbal and written communication skills and work well within in a team environment. Experience in a commercial Sales environment, Marketing background, international travel experience, science background are considered a huge plus for applicants.
Position is Home-based or in our Gainesville, Florida office.
Send your resume and a thoughtful cover letter explaining why you’d like to work for Holbrook Travel in the Educational Travel Consultant position to chris@holbrooktravel.com. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Current references will be required in the final round. If your qualifications meet our needs we will contact you, and in addition, retain your resume on file for 90 days. Holbrook Travel is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. We look forward to learning what you can bring to our team!
Job Title: Guest Services Advisor
Department: Client Services
Supervisor (s): Manager of Guest Services
Start Date: June 17, 2019
Salary: $38,000
For more information and to apply, click here.
Academic Travel Abroad, Inc. was formed in 1950 to assist colleges, universities, museums and other cultural institutions, and professional organizations in the creation and operation of educational group travel programs for their memberships and patrons. Today ATA, a leader in cultural and educational group travel, operates unique travel programs throughout the world.
ATA also operates a full-service Call Center for several of its partner organizations and two international travel operators. Currently ATA serves as the U.S. call center for five distinct travel brands.
The Guest Services Advisor staff is an entry level position that works on domestic and international educational tours for a variety of client organizations. The (GSA) main duty is to provide customer service to all ATA travelers and support Senior GSAs with tour operations. The GSA main responsibilities are: 1) provide superior customer service in all forms, including oral and written; 2) monitor passenger and financial data in the in-house reservations system; 3) collect personal information, flight information, and final payments from travelers; 4) proof and send tour documents such as confirmation emails, final mailings, and evaluation surveys; 5) work in conjunction with Senior GSAs on trip operations; 6) perform other projects as needed to fulfill ATA’s commitment to superior customer service to our travelers and client partners. The GSA works closely with other ATA staff, as well as attending regular meetings of the Sales and Creative Department.
Showcase your commitment to sustainable travel during the conference and beyond. Your brand will be seen during three days of conference and taken home by delegates for even more exposure.
Benefit from targeted marketing exposure to Travel Planners at the pre-conference Jumpstart Seminar and throughout the year with the online Jumpstart training material on the Travel Planner dashboards. Showcase your corporate support of Travel Planner professional development by helping deliver this important conference seminar — a critical and comprehensive resource for Travel Planners.
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Sustained visual and prominent print exposure throughout the conference with customized branding and messaging on the official Conference badges. Your image or logo is printed on every name badge to provide daily contact with your brand.
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Visual and print exposure as soon as delegates check in to the conference hotel. With customized images and messaging on the official hotel’s key cards, your brand is put in front of delegates daily.
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Receive exclusive time in front of the Conference assembly. Benefit from one of the most prominent Sponsor(s) recognition opportunities during the most heavily attended educational sessions of the Conference. Sponsor one of five plenary sessions (AKA BOLD Talks) at the Conference and directly support the advancement of professional education at the conference.
4 confirmed, 1 available at the two-star level.
A key navigational tool for delegates, this promotional medium provides maximum print exposure throughout the conference. The BiZ Passport and Mini-Agenda is a double-sided booklet featuring the company location for all International Bazaar exhibitors and an abbreviated conference agenda for quick reference. Delegates keep the BiZ Passport easily accessible in their conference badge holder.
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This signature venue provides sustained visibility with exclusive branding at all refreshment breaks. The location of the refreshments is in a heavily trafficked area in the International Bazaar delivering prime exposure for Sponsor(s).
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Secure sustained exposure by hosting the refreshments for these two well-segmented and most popular conference forums.Designed in collaboration with ETC’s most seasoned leaders and industry’s expert presenters, these Forums provide some of the most in-depth and hands-on professional development discussions and networking annually.
1 co-partner confirmed, 3 co-partners available at one-star level.
Dominate the Conference’s prime print piece by supporting the highly coveted resource guide – the Conference Resource Directory (CRD). This hard copy guide lists the contact information of all delegates and is a broad reaching medium viewed by 100% of the Conference delegation. Ensuring visibility throughout the year, the e-version is published post-conference with all attendance updates.
5 co-partners confirmed, 1 co-partner available at one-star level.
Showcase your name in lights and significantly heighten your brand recognition and visibility every day of the Conference! This bold and sustained visual promotional medium reaches 100% of delegates over the course of the full Conference, plus throughout the year online as Sponsor(s) company logo is showcased on the ETC member site linking to the MP3 downloads of Conference session recordings.
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Effectively communicate brand messaging by hosting the spotlight opening event. This fun networking dinner always receives maximum attendance because it kicks-off the conference.
Make an impression with this opportunity to spotlight your organization for an evening that will be long remembered. The Community Dinner is heavily attended by delegates and valued as one of the best venues for networking. Traditionally held off site, this venue offers an experience at an outstanding local venue with superb food, drinks, and entertainment.
3 co-partners confirmed, open to 4 co-partners at one-star level
Jean Bouffard left Tourisme Québec after 35 years of service, and five years ago joined Adventure Canada, a Toronto-based tour operator specializingin cultural and natural history, namely small ship expedition cruises. Active in the industry since college, he covered most aspects of tourism development and promotion. Starting as a tour director in Western Europe, he spent several years in New York City as director of tourism for the Government of Québec. He also taught at the Management School of Université du Québec à Montréal and at LaSalle College. In his later years at Tourisme Québec, he acted as their senior advisor for market strategy for the US and Canadian markets, and coordinated the operations of their field offices in both countries. Bouffard was recognized by the Educational Travel Consortium for his contribution to the advancement of learning and enrichment travel within the US travel trade and the Canadian tourism industry. He also acted as the meeting chairman for the National Tour Association yearly operators meeting in Quebec City in 2016. He is a member of the International Council of Monuments and Sites, the National Trust for Canada, Héritage Montreal and Action Patrimoine. Mid-career fellow at the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University (Washington DC), he is particularly interested in cultural history and global issues. www.adventurecanada.com
Get field reports, speaker publications, destination micro-sites, and connect with conference presenters.
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Secure sustained branding exposure both at the annual conference and on the ETC website throughout the calendar year. Recorded guest speaker interviews and delegate commentary, professional video clips are posted on the ETC website in strategic well-trafficked locations.
This position requires a self-motivated individual with excellent communication skills, and ability to multi-task with the highest level of efficiencies in a fast-paced sales and service environment. The Group Sales Coordinator’s role is to close sales, provide exceptional guest service and sales support to the company’s group business. This individual must be detail-oriented and organized with the ability to understand and manage sales agreement terms, effectively manage bookings and maintain/develop professional relationships with group partners. This individual will be interacting and coordinating with the Travel Partners from various organizations as well as with the Lindblad Sales, Marketing, Operations, Reservations and Inventory Control teams.
For more information and to apply click here.
Job Title: Reservations Specialist
Department: Client Services
Supervisor: Assistant Manager for Reservations
Salary: $36,000 plus approximately $2,000 in yearly sales incentives
Application Deadline: June 7, 2019
Start Date: June 17, 2019
For more information and to apply, click here.
Academic Travel Abroad, Inc. was formed in 1950 to assist colleges, universities, museums and other cultural institutions, and professional organizations in the creation and operation of educational group travel programs for their memberships and patrons. Today ATA, a leader in cultural and educational group travel, operates unique travel programs throughout the world.
ATA also operates a full-service Call Center for several of its partner organizations and two international travel operators. Currently ATA serves as the U.S. call center for six distinct travel brands.
Reservations Specialists sell trips and deliver customer service for ATA’s partner organizations. They are responsible for: 1) answering incoming telephone and web inquiries by phone and e-mail; 2) booking adult travelers into one of three different reservation systems; 3) processing credit card payments through online payment portals; 4) sending confirmation materials; and 5) collecting forms and traveler information from booked travelers by phone or electronically.
The position requires strong multi-tasking skills in a fast-paced work environment. Reservations Specialists are expected to find trip information quickly from a variety of sources while simultaneously holding an engaging conversation. Interruptions are to be expected, and the ability to complete tasks despite being side-tracked is essential. A friendly and accommodating personality is desired, and a professional phone manner is a must.
The Alumni Tours Travel Coordinator is responsible for independently performing a wide range of complex administrative support and clerical projects to support the Alumni Travel Program, the director and associate director of UWAA alumni tours. In addition, the Coordinator is responsible for providing a high quality service experience for both internal and external customers.
View and apply here.
Deborah W. Fowlkes is the Senior Director of Alumni Relations at the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), a national organization currently on 125 campuses in the U.S. and abroad. She has worked in alumni relations for more than 25 years, including as executive director at the University of Denver Office of Alumni Relations, the University of Colorado Boulder Alumni Association and the Temple University Alumni Association, where she was responsible for university-wide alumni relations and oversaw educational travel programs at each school. Prior to her position at Temple University, she worked at Duke University in a variety of positions, including director of Alumni Education and Travel and director of Alumni Continuing Education. Fowlkes attended Duke University, where she received a B.A. in Comparative Literature and French Literature and an M.A. in Liberal Studies. Whenever possible, Fowlkes and her husband, Stephen, enjoy spending time with their six grandchildren. They live in Boulder, Colorado, where they can explore the great outdoors. www.focus.org
Bobbi Collins is Manager, Special Projects with Orbridge. Previously she was the Director of Membership and Business Operations at the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association for more than 19 years , where she oversaw many of its alumni programs and services, including the Navy travel program “Anchors Away,” and a multi-school program, “Joint Academy Travel.” Collins is a graduate of The George Washington University, with a degree in Marketing and Finance. Collins’ love of travel began as a Navy wife, while living overseas with her husband, and has led to a lifelong love of exploration. Collins served on the ETC Executive Advisory Council and as a head Jumpstart trainer. She is now an Emeritus Council member. orbridge.com
Irene B. Ziegler is Program Director for Study Abroad Programs in the Division of International Education at the University of New Orleans. Since 1992. she has developed, marketed, and administered various international for-credit programs for students and adults and has taken groups to Europe, particularly Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Italy. Most recently, she has been directing one of the largest and most renowned U.S. study abroad programs, the UNO-Innsbruck International Summer School, which enrolls approximately 250 American students every summer. In addition, her professional responsibilities include student advising, international event management, programming for international visitors, and assistance in the internationalization of campus. Ziegler has also taught English, ESL, and German and has edited and published a number of academic articles and journals. Born and raised in Austria, she attended the University of Innsbruck, where she majored in Foreign Languages and Education. Her M.A. in English is from the University of New Orleans and her Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of Graz (Austria). inst.uno.edu
Judi Wineland has been a pioneer and leader in sustainable adventure travel for more than 30 years. Currently the co-owner of Thomson Safaris, Thomson Family Adventures, and Gibb’s Farm, Wineland has launched innumerable successful travel ventures while always promoting the conservation of the environment and the empowerment of local communities. In 2009, Gibb’s Farm, an eco-lodge in Tanzania near the Ngorongoro Crater, received among the highest ratings for the “Condé Nast Traveler” World Savers Award. Thomson Safaris won the 2009 Tanzania Conservation Award from the Tanzania Tourist Board. Wineland is also a founder and board member of Focus on Tanzanian Communities, a non-profit that supports education, women’s empowerment, and other community initiatives in Tanzania. In 2007, the Adventure Travel Trade Association honored Wineland with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her “lasting influence and inspiration” in the international adventure travel community. Wineland currently serves as the Chair of the ETC Responsible Tourism Committee and is on the ETC Emeritus Council representing the interests of the ETC Adventure and Family Travel U.S. Tour Operator constituents. Wineland became one of the first women to start an adventure travel company when she established Overseas Adventure Travel in 1978.
Gaby Whitehouse started the natural history travel program at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in 1975 with a whale-watching trip to Baja, California, Baja, California, to see the then-endangered gray whales. Whale watching continued both in Baja and out of Provincetown, M.A. Galapagos Island trips followed, and in 1980 she led her first of dozens of Africa safaris. The program grew and prospered, and by the time she left Harvard at the end of 1995, the museum was offering an average of 20 departures a year accompanied by Harvard experts. After leaving Harvard, Whitehouse focused her attention on her own company, Custom African Travel Services (CATS), which was founded in 1992. At first, she ran several trips a year, primarily to Africa and Indonesia and also organized programs for the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Since 2005, she has been focusing on designing and leading unusual trips to Egypt and Jordan. Whitehouse was one of several travel planners involved with the formation of Non-Profits in Travel, the forerunner to ETC. With her colleagues she went on the early institutional familiarization tours that led to many of today’s popular itineraries for institutional travel.
Lauren Summers is Senior Director of Lifelong Learning & Travel, Association of Yale Alumni. She has over 20 years of experience including marketing,public relations, event planning and business management. At Visit Wales, she managed trade sales public relations and marketing as well as consumer campaigns for the U.S. and Canada. Summers was also the general manager of a small hotel in Cambridge, MA where she worked while completing her masters at Harvard Divinity School. At Harvard, she studied the healing traditions of indigenous world religions while playing host to the scholars, researchers, academics and activists from around the world who stayed in her hotel. As a result, she discovered her passion for the tourism and hospitality industries. Summers had previously founded and run her own communications agency based in New York City. Her clients included entertainment, corporate and non-profit organizations such as Levi’s, Disney, and the international Acapulco Film Festival, along with number of Grammy award winning artists, Oscar winning performers, bestselling authors and other celebrities. In addition to her master’s degree, Summers holds an undergraduate degree in Public Relations and marketing from Hampton University. ivy.yale.edu/yet/
Joseph Small is President of AHI Travel located in Chicago, IL. AHI specializes in educational travel for university, college and other nonprofit organizations. Small has worked for AHIfor more than 35 years and served in a variety of capacities, including Travel Director, Operations, Promotion, Marketing and Sales. Small served as Founding President of the popular Alumni Campus Abroad division. He is a graduate of Columbia College and received an M.F.A. from the University of Illinois. Small served on the ETC Executive Advisory Council and currently a member of the ETC Emeritus Council. ahitravel.com
Carolyn Sheaff is retired director of the BEAR TREKS Travel Program, California Alumni Association in Berkeley, Calif., and an ETC Emeritus Council member. From 1983 to 2005. Sheaff was responsible for an educational travel program that annually enrolled approximately 1,300 travelers on 35+ domestic and international tours. Directing a program of this size was accomplished primarily by partnering with 14-16 professional wholesale educational group tour operators annually. Sheaff has attended ETC for 24 years. She served as an ETC Jumpstart moderator, co-facilitator of the Executive Forum and panelist for 10 years, was an ETC Advisory Council member for 13 years, and was a member of the ETC Coalition, which monitored IRS Tax Exempt Organization travel program guidelines and unrelated business income tax (UBIT) issues. She remains actively involved with ETC member affinity tour operators on a consultant basis. Sheaff received her Sheaff received her B.A. degree from University of California, Berkeley in political science and is currently engaged in educational group tour consulting, marketing research, tour managing and brochure editing for tour operators and nonprofit organizations.
Jim Sano is the World Wildlife Fund’s Vice President for Travel, Tourism and Conservation. He serves as its senior advisor on sustainable tourism programs and develops new initiatives to engage its most committed supporters. Sano was formerly President of Geographic Expeditions, a San Francisco-based adventure travel company that offers educational travel, location management and sustainable travel consulting services. During his tenure the company received multiple awards and distinctions, including being named best adventure travel company in the world and one of the 50 best places to work in America. Prior to joining GeoEx, Sano served as a Ranger and Special Assistant to the Superintendent at Yosemite National Park in California. His responsibilities included overseeing park naturalist/interpretive programs; coordinating several key elements of the park’s General Management Plan; and serving as a member of its search and rescue team. Sano has served on WWF’s National Council for 10 years and was a board member of the Trust for Public Land for 23 years. Additionally, he was the Founding President of the Mono Lake Foundation; and Founding Director of the Natural Step and the Yosemite Restoration Trust. Sano is the recipient of five National Park Service Special Achievement awards. He also led the first American men and women’s expedition to Mt. Everest and co-led other groundbreaking expeditions around the world. worldwildlife.org/travel
Michael Sanders, President and Founder of the Environmental Adventure Company, offers a vast collection of expertise and experiences in wildlife and natural resource management. He has worked as a wildlife biologist in Yellowstone, Great Smoky Mountains, Everglades, Grand Canyon, and Rocky Mountain National Parks, and has become a foremost authority on human/mountain lion interactions. Sanders’ recently published biography, “The Beast in the Garden,” highlights his research into the human/lion confrontations along the Front Range of Colorado. His work has also brought him local, national, and international recognition. He has led trips throughout the Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to South America and organized wildlife ecology programs throughout the National Park system. In addition, Sanders has achieved an expertise in photography, being published in numerous magazines and newspapers nationwide. His special interest in photography and group dynamics, coupled with his master’s degree in Natural Resource Management provides an outstanding foundation for his guide experience and adventure travel. Environmental Adventure Company is a recognized leader in educational natural history travel worldwide. Recently, EAC began offering birding and nature tours to Cuba, working closely with the Cuban experts. Sanders and his daughter, Laine, live in Livingston, Montana.
Ben Sander works with Black Sheep Adventures designing small group biking and hiking adventure trips. He previously was the for National Parks Conservation Association, offering the best in educational travel to the National Parks. Sander has experienced and worked in ecotourism ventures in Costa Rica, Kenya, Tanzania, Peru and Pohnpei, Micronesia which have guided his vision for the travel program. He holds a masters degree in natural resources and sustainable development and conducted his master’s research in Costa Rica at one of the first eco-lodges in the world, Rara Avis, which has since been published and Sander has spoken at a number of ecotourism focused conferences on his research. His passion for ecotourism also led him to be a tour guide in Washington DC offering bike tours of the national memorials as well as being a nature guide in Costa Rica. He is a bike advocate and has participated in the Climate Ride the last four years riding over 300 miles on each ride to help raise awareness around climate change, bike advocacy, and national park protection. blacksheepadventures.com
Steve Ridgway is Owner and President of Criterion Travel, a tour operator specializing in educational travel. He has been a professional tour operator for over 40 years, focusing for the past 30 years on affinity travel. He held a variety of management positions during twelve years with Maupintour, a wholesale tour operator that for Ridgway’s last ten years was honored in the annual Travel/Holiday magazine reader poll as the best international tour operator in the U.S. At the AARP/NRTA Travel Service he was responsible for a staff of 120 providing travel programs for 40,000 travelers annually. Prior to becoming owner of Criterion Travel, for 17 years Ridgway helped lead High Country Passage, another tour operator specializing in high-quality educational travel programs for prestigious nonprofit organizations. He currently shuttles between Criterion’s administrative office in Palo Alto, California and his home in Beaverton, Oregon where he keeps an eye on his three young grandchildren. Ridgway is a graduate of the University of Kansas and a proud Jayhawk. He joined the ETC Executive Advisory Council in 2014 and represents the ETC U.S. Tour Operators constituents. www.criteriontravel.com
Pauline Ranieri has been in the travel industry for more than 25 years. She began her career as a Travel Director with Contiki Holidays -a leader in the 18 to 35-year-old travel market–leading tours around the U.S. and Europe. She then moved into the position of Operations Manager for the U.S. market. Ranieri joined UW Alumni Tours in 1991 and tripled the size of the program by the end of the 90’s. It is now a leading alumni travel program offering a variety of affinity tours supported by more than 800 travelers. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Montana. Ranieri currently serves on the ETC Emeritus Council representing the interests of the State University Alumni Travel Program constituents. Her interests include photography, hiking and beadwork. UWalum.com/tours
Dennis Pinto is the Managing Director of Micato Safaris. A Graduate of Stanford University, he spent several years in Asia as a Vice President with American Express Bank prior to joining the family trade. He expanded Micato into wide-ranging areas of special interest travel and co-founded Micato’s nonprofit arm, America Share, dedicated to the support of African orphanages. Pinto serves on the boards of numerous organizations, including Adventure Collection, a group of travel companies dedicated to high caliber adventure travel. He serves on the ETC Emeritus Council representing the interests of large tour operators. micato.com
Jessica O’Keefe, CTC, is Director of Sales, USA, for EgyptAir, the national airline of Egypt. O’Keefe is an airline executive with broad experience in all aspects of sales, marketing, and advertising. She has travelled extensively and particularly enjoys working with the educational and special interest market. She serves on the Country Steering Council for the Star Alliance Group and is a marketing committee member of the American Tourism Society. egyptair.com
Kerstin Nordin handles Marketing North America for Iceland Travel. She has 40 years’ experience in travel and tourism, including association, travel agency, tourist board, public relations, destination, marketing, and event management experience. She holds an M.B.A. in Tourism, Travel and Marketing Management, from New School University, has a degree in Business Management from the University of Aix-Marseilles, France, and earned a degree in French from the University of Stockholm, Sweden. She has lived and worked abroad in France and the United States for her entire professional career in travel. Nordin has attended the ETC Conference since 1995. icelandtravel.is
Todd Nielsen is a founding member of the Educational Travel Community and a pioneer in the planning and administration of non-profit, educational tour programs. Todd has been directingnon-profit, educational tour programs for over 30 years. He is the President and Director of Eos Study Tours (www.studytours.org), a management organization that administers the travel programs of several non-profit institutions, including the Archaeological Institute of America and Carleton College. The Eos team excels at crafting distinctive trips for faculty and curators, and managing all marketing and operational processes. Todd has served as director of travel programs of ten non-profit organizations, including the American Museum of Natural History (14 years), Denver Museum of Nature and Science (six years), National Wildlife Federation (four years), the Explorers Club (18 years), and the American Geographical Society (12 years). He has managed over 175 study tours for The Field Museum (Chicago). Nielsen founded Eos Study Tours in 1993 to offer non-profit organizations the most comprehensive and risk-free management service for their travel programs. He has traveled to more than 70 countries, many of them multiple times. He has helped pioneer many new tours, including the first-ever, non-profit educational voyages throughout Indonesia, first circumnavigation of Antarctica, as well as the first nonprofit study tours using submersibles to take travelers to deep sea vents and sunken shipwrecks, including ancient Roman ships, the battleship Bismarck, and the Titanic. studytours.org/
James Moses is the President and CEO of Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel), the not-for-profit leader in educational travel and learning adventures for adults. Since its founding in 1975, Road Scholar has fundamentally changed America’s perceptions of aging. Road Scholar learning adventures operate throughout the United States and in 90 countries. Mr. Moses joined the organization in 1979 and served as Registrar; Vice President of International Programs; Senior Vice President for Worldwide Programming, Marketing and Call Center Operations; and as Chief Operating Officer before being named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2002. Mr. Moses is a graduate of Boston College; a Fellow of the World Demographic Society/World Ageing & Generations Congress; and has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD); and as Board Vice Chair for the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts; the Board of Visitors of the Boston Center for the Arts; and the Executive Advisory Council for the Educational Travel Conference. roadscholar.org
Roberta Moore has dedicated a significant part of her career to educational travel and this industry has delivered more travel and professional adventuresthan she could have ever hoped for. After serving as travel director for two educational institutions, she moved to the private sector to lead affinity travel sales efforts for several US tour operators before taking a leap of faith to launch her own consulting business. Once again, the industry didn’t let her down. Among several projects, she supports sales and marketing of ViaTour Software and leads US and Canada business development for Italyscape. Her academic background includes a BA in Visual Arts and an MFA in Photography. She has been a Board Member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, a member of the Women’s Travel Club of Boston, and served on the advisory board of ETC. She continues to give presentations and mentor travel professionals. She and her husband recently returned to their hometown of Philadelphia, where they are restoring a 130-year-old Victorian townhouse. In her new hometown, she is a board member of the Germantown neighborhood association, a member of the Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs, and supports environmental, human rights and animal welfare organizations.
Janet Moore is President of Distant Horizons, which, in an attempt to combine her love of travel with a real job, she began more than 30 years ago. With a graduate degreein business from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Moore has traveled extensively, and is particularly interested in the challenge of opening up new destinations to travelers with sensitivity and respect to the host country. Over the years, Moore has been among the first to initiate cultural programs from the Americas to Asia. In 2004, she initiated programs for Americans to both Afghanistan and Libya. She is a contributor to NPR’s “The World” and is frequently interviewed by national newspapers–from “The New York Times” to “The Wall Street Journal”–on travel issues. distant-horizons.com
Lynn Meehan is responsible for North America market development within the Group and FIT leisure travel sectors for the Department of Tourism and Parks, Province of New Brunswick, Canada. Having returned to her home province of New Brunswick in 2000, after 15 years as a resident of Vancouver, British Columbia, Meehan knew she wanted to share her enthusiasm for New Brunswick and for Atlantic Canada with key travel influencers and, perhaps in doing so, contribute to the growth and prosperity of the New Brunswick tourism industry. With over 25 years’ experience in the private sector of the tourism/travel industry she began her career with New Brunswick Tourism and Parks in 2002 and attended her first ETC in 2004. Meehan currently serves on the ETC Emeritus Council representing the interests of the North American Destination constituents. TourismNewBrunswick.ca
Aleksandra Matic is the Associate Director of the Member Travel for the Art Institute of Chicago. She joined the staff of the Member Travel Department in June, 2002, and has been the Associate Director since 2009. Recent projects include acting as liaison to the Art Institute’s curatorial and affiliate travel programs and leading tours of the Art Institute’s special exhibitions. Most recently she has led tours of Gates of the Lord: The Tradition of Krishna Paintings. Bringing together over 100 artworks from private and public collections in India and the United States,Gates of the Lord: The Tradition of Krishna Paintings is the first major U.S. exhibition to explore the unique visual culture of the Pushtimarg, a Hindu denomination from Western India. Matic is a long-time volunteer for the Howard Brown Health Center and a member of the Arts Club of Chicago. Matic received her B.A. in Art History from Lake Forest College with a focus on American Modernist painting and the Chicago Imagists. Her current academic focus is on contemporary Indian visual art. She currently serves on the ETC Emeritus Council, and also represents the interests of museums with a focus on art, donor and cultural member travel program constituents. artic.edu/travel
Ivan Martinez-Vega was formerly the Director for Florida and the Caribbean for the Mexico Tourism Board. Based in the Miami/Fort Lauderdalearea. In that role Martinez was responsible for Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations in support of the MTB Marketing Plan. He worked for the Mexico Tourism Board in various managerial capacities since 2007. He is an International Business and Event Management Expert and fluent in English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. He is certified in Event Management and a Professor of Strategic Negotiation 6 Lobbying at the Monterrey Tech, and has lectured on Event Management and contributed as a columnist for “MASEXPOS” magazine. Martinez has a PhD in Public Administration and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with concentration in International Negotiations from Instituto Technologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico.
Philip Lovejoy has been working at Harvard since 1998. Currently he is the Executive Director of the Harvard Alumni Association, serving over 330,000 alumni through a range of programs, including regional clubs, shared interest groups, travel and education programs, and online through Alumni.Harvard.edu and a variety of social media platforms. He also directs the College Alumni Programs office. Prior to being named the Deputy Executive Director, he served as Director, University-wide Alumni Affairs at the HAA and was responsible for all aspects of HAA programming which serve the university-wide alumni. Philip joined the HAA as Associate Director, Alumni Education in January 2004. Prior to that he was Director of External Affairs at the Harvard Museum of Natural History from 1998-2004 where his responsibilities included directing their travel program and all fundraising efforts for the institution. He served on the Advisory Council of the Educational Travel Conference, and is an active member of the Harvard Travellers Club, having traveled to over 50 countries. He also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Boston Center for the Arts, the Board of Directors of the Blue Hills Foundation, the Emeritus Board of the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is a member of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire and volunteers his time to raise money for a variety of worthy causes.
Susan Lethbridge is Business Development Director, U.S. & Canada, with Albion Journeys. Her keen personal interest in educational travelled to specializing in this niche for the past 20+ years. She has broad experience in developing, marketing and selling an extensive range of group programs for university alumni and museum clients, together with various affinity organizations. Her background in the travel industry includes a strong focus on worldwide small ship cruises requiring specific itinerary content, customization of pre- and post-cruise land programs, shore excursions and exclusive events. Susan served on the ETC Executive Advisory Council and is now an ETC Emeritus Council member.
Karen Kuttner-Dimitry is Vice President of Affinity and Charter Sales at Lindblad Expeditions. Kuttner-Dimitry has been in the adventure travel/luxury industry for nearly 30 years. She launched her career in the travel industry in 1987, where she spent five years on board cruise ships as a Social Director. In 1993, she became the Director of Sales, Mid-Atlantic States for Lindblad Expeditions. After three years of rapid growth in regional sales revenue, she focused on the development of affinity and travel agency accounts nationwide. Seeking new challenges, Kuttner-Dimitry left for Natural Habitat Adventures in Boulder, Colo., in 1997, to direct all sales, and marketing for affinity and incentive markets. In 2003, she became the Director of Sales at Grand Expeditions responsible for all affinity sales and marketing. She returned to Lindblad Expeditions in 2004 to expand the affinity and charter business nationwide. Kuttner-Dimitry holds a M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology and a M.A. in Personnel Administration, both from Columbia University. She lives with her husband and three children in New Jersey. Kuttner-Dimitry represents the affinity cruise market. www.expeditions.com
Ida Kahn-Subin is the United States Programs Director for Project Interchange. After working for El Al as Director of Marketing and Sales and asan international tour operator, Kahn-Subin was the Director of Travel for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, organizing and operating global educational journeys. Most recently, she was Missions Director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, developing unique adventures in Israel and launching the Jewish Civilizations of the World programs. projectinterchange.org
Linda Ho is the Marketing Manager for the Eastern USA at the Hong Kong Tourism Board. She is a native of Hong Kong, fluent in English and Chinese, and has worked with many sectors of the travel industry both in Hong Kong and in the U.S. She is a board member of The Hong Kong Association of New York and a founding member of Asia Now–a strategic partnership of Asian National Tourism Boards that provides education and promotion for the region. Ho is passionate about travel, meeting new people, reading and photography. Ho serves on the ETC Emeritus Council representing the interests of the Asia Destination constituents.
discoverhongkong.com/usa
Elisabeth Hakim is an accomplished marketing executive with 30 years in the travel and tourism industry. Hakim is currently the North AmericanMarket Coordinator for PromPeru, Peru Tourism and Export Promotion Board, where she spearheads a five-person team dedicated to promoting Peru in the US, Canada and the UK. Before joining PromPeru nine years ago, she was the Marketing Manager of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines for the Andean Countries for ten years. Currently her responsibilities are heavily focused on developing strategic marketing partnerships with influential travel organizations, building awareness about Peru through a variety of educational tools dedicated for the travel, and providing any other type of marketing support to the travel trade professionals in North American and U.K. Hakim earned her college degree in Modern Languages and post-graduate studies in Tourism Marketing. Passionate about her country, she enjoys traveling with her husband into the depths of Peru discovering new places and reconnecting with her Peruvian roots. Hakim has two daughters living in Switzerland and the U.S. www.peru.travel/en/
Maria Gross is an experienced business leader with a strong background in successful leisure travel sales, strategic planning, program development, and marketing management across the start-up, corporate, and non-profit sectors. Her professional work has spanned upscale-educational travel, destination marketing, luxury vacation property acquisitions, expedition/adventure cruises lines, and public relations. She served as Director of Marketing for the International Oceanographic Foundation (IOF), in Miami, Florida, where she created and directed IOF Sea Safaris, a special interest travel program and Oceans Miami a three-day event and marine industry trade show. There she also handled international client relations, partnership alliances, advertising, organizational development, and management. Gross was later recruited to serve as Marketing Director for the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences IOF Foundation, and for eight years as the Director of Leisure Sales, Latin America, for the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Gross earned her B.A. at Pontifical Xavierian University, Colombia, Accounting for the Hospitality Industry at Florida International University and Destination Marketing, e-Marketing, and Management with Destination Marketing Association International-DMAI. Gross serves as an Emeritus Council member for the Educational Travel Community and Conference and on the National Tour Association U.S. Hispanic Task Force. Maria also manages various consulting projects in the travel industry.
Melissa Gresh is the Director of the MIT Alumni Travel Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has been on staff at MITand has worked for the Travel Program for over 25 years. In 2013, under her leadership, the MIT Alumni Travel Program received MIT’s prestigious Leading the Way award. The Program has also earned recognition from the CASE Awards Program for its marketing and its innovative programming. Prior to working at MIT, Gresh worked at World Class Incentives, an incentive travel firm, where she helped to create tour programming. She also spent a year working as a travel agent. Gresh has two children and enjoys spending time with family, hiking in the White Mountains, yoga, and cooking. She received a BS in geography from Salem State University and spent part of her senior year studying abroad in Caen, France. She has attended the Educational Travel Conference for 24 years. www.alum.mit.edu/travel
Scott Gerloff is president and CEO of Heritage Travel, LLC. Gerloff is responsible for establishing and implementing the operational strategy ofHeritage Travel including its technology, sales, and marketing efforts. Most recently, he held the position of vice president for destinations and partner relations. Throughout his 35-year career, Gerloff has created, developed, and managed entrepreneurial market and mission businesses. Gerloff first joined the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the parent organization of Heritage Travel, LLC, in 1978. He provided leadership in several areas. He was the co-founder of the highly successful National Main Street Center and was its executive director for seven years. Gerloff served as the founder and first executive director of Historic Hotels of America. He also conceptualized and secured funding for a demonstration program that helped launch the National Trust’s initial Heritage Tourism program. In 1997, Gerloff left the National Trust for Historic Preservation to become the president of Historic Connections, a consulting company focused on cultural/heritage tourism, commercial revitalization, and the creation of earned income strategies for various clients. Upon his return to the National Trust in 2006, Gerloff directed the National Trust Tours program, where he successfully doubled net income in two years. He holds a B.A. from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., and a master’s degree in American History from the University of South Dakota. Gerloff serves on the ETC Executive Advisory Council representing the interests of national Cultural Organization Member Travel Program constituents. heritagetravelinc.com
Rob Fure is Director of Lifelong Learning at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. While teaching American literature and modern poetryat Washington and Lee, Fure taught in the University’s Institute for Executives, a humanities program for corporate executives. Inspired by such opportunities for lifelong learning, Fure proposed a new department for the creation and management of continuing education programs for adults and pre-college youths. The office was reorganized as the Office of Lifelong Learning in 2018. He is irrepressibly enthusiastic on the subject of educational programming for adult learners. In 1982, he established the Washington and Lee Alumni College, which features educational programming for alumni and friends both on campus and abroad. Fure received his secondary and collegiate education in Illinois and Michigan, and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in English at the University of California, Berkeley. He served as President of the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors’ International. He also served on the ETC Executive Advisory Council. He is now a member of the ETC Emeritus Council and has frequently spoken at the annual conference.
James Friedlander is the President of Academic Arrangements Abroad, which he joined 14 years ago to direct and manage all facets of the company. Jim discovered his love of travel at a young age and upon graduating from Wesleyan University began his career as the French Country Officer in the International Banking Group of the Irving Trust Company. After receiving his M.B.A. from Columbia University, he spent more than 10 years assisting companies that were experiencing significant financial or operational problems. This past year Jim has traveled widely to Cuba, Europe and the Middle-East either accompanying groups and/or researching new programs. Jim has served as one of the trainers in the annual ETC Jumpstart Seminar for many years as well as developed the programming for new DOS attendees. Jim currently serves on the ETC Emeritus Council representing the interests of the U.S. Tour Operator constituents with a focus on art and culturally based travel. arrangementsabroad.com
Stacy Fiorentinos is Founder and President of Classic Escapes, and has provided nature and cultural travel around the world since 1975. She has traveled extensively throughout East and Southern Africa, South and Central America, the South Pacific and Asia. Her clients include Zoos, Alumni Associations, Audubon Societies and Nature Centers from all over America, as well as individuals. Stacy’s passion for conservation and research has brought her in contact with many renowned researchers—Tico McNutt and Lesley Boggs who work with wild dogs in Botswana; Iain and Oria Douglas-Hamilton of “Save the Elephants” in Kenya; and Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia—to name a few. She also supports philanthropic causes, with a percentage of the company’s profits allocated to the Classic Escapes Conservation Fund and its Bring-A-Book Foundation. Fiorentinos currently serves on the ETC Executive Advisory Council representing the interests of the ETC U.S. Tour Operator constituents with a focus on zoo and nature based travel. www.classicescapes.com
Roberta “Bert” DeVries has been the Travel Planner at the Philadelphia Zoo for the past 19 years and its Program and Trips Coordinator for the past 15 years. She is credited with initiating the Zoo’s travel partnership program with other institutions and is responsible for offering to Zoo members 8-10 trips a year, and in addition offers 3 trips a year for AZAD that she plans both “in house,” as well as with the help of tour operators. Each trip has a direct connection to one of the Zoo’s conservation efforts. DeVries’ annual attendance at the ETC has been critical to the Zoo’s program success. She also began and continues to run the travel program for the international Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents (AZAD). In 2013, Bert was formally included in membership as Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) for demonstrating excellence and dedication within her profession.DeVries is a graduate of Cornell University, where she majored in Child Development and Family Relationships. philadelphiazoo.org
Lynn Cutter is CEO, Expedition Ventures, and formerly served as Executive Vice President, Travel, at National Geographic responsible for NationalGeographic’s travel businesses. Cutter has 30 years of general management experience, with a focus on strategic marketing, business development and online and direct marketing in travel and media companies. Since joining National Geographic in 1998 as Vice President, Travel, Cutter has overseen the launch of the successful National Geographic Expeditions program as well as many product line extensions including student, family, active adventures, private jet, and private/custom trips. She also led the launch of a strategic alliance with Lindblad Expeditions, which includes six National Geographic-branded expedition ships, and more recently spearheaded the launch of a new line of more accessibly priced trips with G Adventures and a collection of lodges that define the gold standard in sustainability called National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. Prior to joining National Geographic, Cutter operated her own consulting practice specializing in new business launches in travel and media, with clients including Discovery Communications and Hearst New Media. Prior to that, Cutter held senior positions in marketing and strategic planning at The Disney Channel, Bell Atlantic Video Services/Tele-TV, and Citicorp, and also served as Vice President of Marketing for Special Expeditions (now Lindblad Expeditions). Cutter received her B.A. in Marketing and B.S. in Journalism from Lehigh University, and a MBA from Harvard University. She lives in Chevy Chase, M.D., with her husband and their two sons.
Diana Lee Crew is currently a consultant to nonprofits and for profit educational organizations focusing on developing strategic relationships and consulting in a variety of capacities. Some of her more recent work includes sales consulting with StudySync, an innovative reading and writing Educational Technology company; photography and video work, including recent ETC conferences. From September 2005 to January 2010 she served as Director of Strategic Partnerships with Immersion Learning in Mystic, CT, which was founded by oceanographer and explorer Dr. Robert Ballard as a state-of-the-art communications and robotics technology program bringing yearly ocean-going research expeditions live to school kids, museums, science centers, aquariums, and participating Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Previously, she worked at the JASON Foundation of Education, where she spent over nine years as its Director of Sales for a leading science distance learning program. Prior to JASON, she was with the Denver Museum of Natural History for 18 years, where she developed and directed its museum travel and youth education programs, managed an active travel program, and was an institutional co-founding sponsor of the Nonprofits in Travel Conference, now evolved to ETC, and co-designer of the early Nonprofits in Travel Conference agendas. She also served as President of the Rocky Mountain Direct Marketing Association. She holds an M.A. in Public Information and Communication from the University of Denver and a B.A. from Scripps College in Claremont, CA.
Regina Cross, is the Director of Alumni Travel for the Michigan State University (MSU) Alumni Association. She has been a member of the MSU Alumni Associationstaff since 1988 and worked as a student intern while attending classes at MSU. In 1996, she hired on as a full-time employee and has served in a variety of different positions. In 2000, she assumed the responsibility of the MSU travel program and has continued to build the travel program to more than 30 tours. Her love for travel was inherited from her mother, who was an avid traveler. Cross received her undergraduate degree in education in 1991 and went on to fulfill her graduate coursework from MSU in kinesiology in 1995. Cross joined the Executive Advisory Council in 2012, representing state schools in the Mid-West and is currently serving as an Emeritus Council member.
Alea M. Cot, Assistant Provost for International Education at the University of New Orleans, brings over 20 years of administrative experience in in international education to her leadership of UNO international programs and services. Her extensive experience in international program design, fiscal and human resource management, and student recruitment has contributed to the steady growth and success of international programming at UNO. Currently, she is spearheading an exciting renovation of an existing campus building to become the new Center for International Education. Cooperation with international design partners to incorporate state-of-the-art sustainable, green technologies will quickly make it a model for energy-efficient renovation and construction projects. She attended her first ETC conference in 1992 and quickly recognized the importance of this conference to the field of non-profit travel programming. Her passion for international education began as an AFS high school exchange student in Thailand and continued with her junior year abroad at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain. Since then, she has assumed numerous leadership roles in professional associations that serve international education and has presented papers and presided over workshops, presentations, and conferences in the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Additionally, she serves on advisory boards at the state and national level. She holds both an M.A. and B.A. in International Relations from Tulane University. inst.uno.edu
Margaret Mullaly Carnright is Assistant Director at Yale Educational Travel and has held this position since June, 2008. Her responsibilities includeCustomer Service and Program Officer duties ranging from travel brochure editing to faculty scheduling. At Yale, she might also be found working at spring reunions or Yale’s annual fall Assembly. From 1989-2008, Carnright held the position of Director of Travel Programs for National Audubon Society’s travel program, Audubon Nature Odysseys. In 1992 she won Audubon’s “President’s Award” for her many new initiatives on their natural history travel program. In 2006 Carnright was a State of Connecticut Director of Tourism qualifier. In 2001, she taught a course in Cruise Marketing at Norwalk Community College. She has been in the travel industry for more than 30 years working for airlines and for two years at Travel Dynamics International. In 1995 she was invited to participate in the White House Conference on Travel & Tourism. The goal was to work with diverse arms of the travel industry and compile a list of recommendations for the conference. Carnright has been quoted in “Fortune” magazine, “Travel & Leisure” magazine, “Audubon” magazine, and “Town & Country” magazine. Carnright first attended the Educational Travel Conference in 1990 and was an Executive Advisory Council member for two years. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, John. yaleedtravel.org
Jennifer Bohac has been Director of Travel for The Association of Former Students at Texas A&M University since May 2001. Prior to that, Bohac workedas an Academic Counselor in the Texas A&M Ag Economics Department from 1990 to 1994, then as Director and Developer of the Athletic Career Services Program in charge of student- athletes’ summer employment, jobs upon graduation and NCAA employment compliance. Bohac spent two years at the University of Minnesota as the Director of Student-Athlete Development. She was in charge of 700 student-athletes’ community service, career development, leadership programming and personal development. She authored a textbook with Prentice Hall publishers in 2000 entitled “Career Game Plan for Student- Athletes.” She has also taught numerous classes at Minnesota and Texas A&M. Bohac graduated from Texas A&M University in 1987 with a B.S. in animal science. She also received a B.A. in agricultural economics in 1988. While working full-time on campus, Bohac completed her master’s degree at A&M in Higher Education Administration in 1994, earning a Ph.D. in the same field in 1998. www.aggienetwork.com/travel
Tim Bennett is the Business Development Manager at Delta Bridge, Inc. Mr. Bennett began working with Delta Bridge in May, 2015. His Focus is providing Communications and Information tools for frequent travelers such as: travel operators, the aviation industry and non-governmental organizations (NGO’s). These tools range from satellite phones, to encrypted cell phones and the ProtectTour app, which provides first responder information and embassy contacts for every country in the world. Prior to joining Delta Bridge, Mr. Bennett was the Director of Corporate Relationships at G3 Visas and Passports, Inc. (G3). It was during his tenure at G3 that he became a member of the ETC community. Prior to G3, Mr. Bennett served as a civil servant in the federal government for 10 years, working with The Department of Defense, Department of State, U.S. Information Agency and General Services Administration. Mr. Bennett holds a BS in Political Science from Northern Michigan University. Mr. Bennett is a former member of the ETC Executive Advisory Council representing the interests of the travel supplier constituency. deltabridge.com/
Christel Aragon is the Director of Travel at UCLA Alumni Travel. She joined UCLA Alumni Travel in 1994. Now in its 77th year, UCLA Alumni Traveloffers 50 educational tours serving approximately 1,200 travelers annually. Christel strongly believes in lifelong learning through travel, and is persistently searching for ways to make the offerings more educational, unique and a good fit for UCLA’s more than 400,000 living alumni. Recommitting to the Association’s mission of continuing education, Aragon has been instrumental in establishing a strategic direction for the program by featuring UCLA faculty on tour offerings. Today, UCLA Alumni Travel tours feature UCLA faculty on more than 50 percent of the offerings. Christel was born in Stockholm, Sweden and she has over 25 years of experience in the travel industry. She has been attending the Educational Travel Conference for over 20 years has served on the ETC Executive Advisory Council representing ETC West Coast schools and is currently an Emeritus Council member.
Karen Kresal Anthony is the Director Emerita of Alumni Travel at the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association. She retired from the Alumni Association after 27 years of dedicated service and led the Travel Program from 1985 to 2010. She has traveled extensively across the globe. When she started the travel program in 1982, Notre Dame was offering just two tours per year. She built the program to its current state of more than 35 programs a year. Her notable accomplishments include the creation of a Travel Advisory Committee composed of professors, priests, and administrators at the university; cultivation of travel programs hosted by Notre Dame faculty and priests; and served for five years as a member of the Educational Travel Conference advisory council to foster best practices in the education travel industry. Anthony was presented the prestigious honorary alumna award by the Alumni Board of Directors in 1998 and received the Notre Dame President’s Award for outstanding service in May 2000. Anthony and her husband, Tony, have three children and nine grandchildren.
Cary Allyn has served as the Director of the Vanderbilt University Travel Program since 2001. As a native Nashvillian,she attended Vanderbilt University and earned a major in Art History. Prior to starting her position at Vanderbilt, Allyn worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years holding positions with travel companies in Boston, Atlanta, and Nashville. She has been fortunate to travel all over the world with groups and as an independent traveler enjoying every minute. Her husband of 25 years also attended Vanderbilt, where he earned his undergraduate degree in History and a graduate degree in Law. They have two boys eighteen and twenty-two years old. Allyn currently serves on the ETC Executive Advisory Council representing the interests of the Private University Alumni Travel Program constituents. vanderbilt.edu
Fred Ackerman is the Chief Shepherding Officer of Black Sheep Adventures, the adventure travel business he founded in 2002. Ackerman is activelyinvolved in every aspect of his business and personally guides a select number of tours each year. Prior to starting BSA, he worked as a Trip Specialist for Backroads designing and leading bicycling and multisport trips around the US and Europe. Ackerman was formerly a strategy management consultant with Mars & Co. working mostly in Australia. After graduation, he worked for Schlumberger, a multinational oilfield services company, where he spent nine months on an offshore oil rig training to become an oil rig manager. His entrance into the travel industry was the result of a “quarter–life crisis” when he happily left the relative security of the corporate world to focus on travel. Ackerman holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from MIT. Ackerman joined the ETC Executive Advisory Council in 2014 and represents the interests of U.S. Tour Operators with a focus on domestic/active, adventure travel, moving to international. www.BlackSheepAdventures.com
J. Mara DelliPriscoli, President, Travel Learning Connections, Inc., is the founder and architect of the Educational Travel Consortium (formerly Nonprofits in Travel Conference). Her vision from inception over 33 years ago was to facilitate the growth of a vibrantcommunity of like-minded colleagues to converge at an annual “happening”—a travel think tank—to deal with current challenges and future opportunities in affinity and educational travel. Once technology had sufficiently advanced in post 2000, she progressively launched the Educational Travel Community online. Within ETC’s annual conference and online platform, she has facilitated the growth of strategic business partnerships and business-to-business nonprofit-for profit networking of those in the field of alumni, museum, conservation and affinity group travel. With over 35 years of experience in the tourism industry, Mara has worked directly within most sectors of the travel industry, including tourism marketing, tour sales, development and management, hotel operations, transportation, and tourism research for diverse consulting firms. Mara lectures, writes, photographs and works with cultural, community and conservation tourism development projects in the US and abroad. She consults in the field of educational and special interest tourism development for a variety of US and international organizations authoring country specific reports. Mara has always had a passion for exploration, blue water sailing, languages, folk dance, photography and equestrian pursuits. For the past decade she has pursued advanced technical training and field work in Photojournalism. Mara holds an M. Ed in Tourism with a minor in marketing from the George Washington University, and a B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University with a major in European history and a minor in three languages with her freshman year conducted at the College Year in Athens, Greece. Having spent a great deal of her professional life in the Washington, D.C. area, she is a native New Englander which explains her love of the sea and adventure including three years of live aboard sailing and logging thousands of nautical miles to South America. Mara has been based in St. Ignatius, Montana for 25+ years. She still travels extensively globally and has visited 88+ countries.
Roxanne Shiels, Leading Program Planner for Alumni and Lifelong Learning, joined ETC in 2018. Roxanne formerly directed the Penn State Alumni Association’s Alumni Outreach (education) and a combined AlumniTravel and Education units from 2002 to 2009. She continued her career at Penn State leading a large academic conferences unit where she often highlighted ETC’s signature conference as the community-type of environment that other conferences should aspire to. In addition, she led strategic planning and special projects for the Vice President and Vice Provost of Penn State’s 600-person Outreach and Online Education unit. Currently, she continues as Penn State World Campus’s alumni strategist, attracting new online learners. Roxanne’s fond memories of ETC and love for everything travel prompted her return to the Consortium in a part-time, professional capacity. As a U.S. “Army brat” she was born in Canada, moved frequently, and is thrilled to call Pennsylvania home after receiving two degrees from Penn State and never leaving, except as an enthusiastic traveler. Roxanne lives on a non-producing farm with her husband, two daughters, pony, cat, and lots of wildlife. Hobbies include: running, reading, kayaking, downhill skiing, horseback riding, scuba diving, hunting, fishing, and so much more!
Jill Bernier, Leading Program Planner for Donor and Sustainability Initiatives, joined ETC in 2018 after a long and gratifying career at The Nature Conservancy. Formerly the director of The Nature Conservancy’sConservation Journeys Program, Jill focused on mission driven trips designed to engage members and support conservation priorities. Having started her career at The Nature Conservancy in 1995 as a Gift Planning Assistant, she worked within the travel program for 18 years with Conservancy staff, partners and travel companies to plan international and domestic trips that ensure standards of quality, low environmental impact and promote responsible travel practices that benefit local communities and support conservation initiatives. Jill accompanied many trips with Conservancy supporters and staff, presented at philanthropy training seminars, The World Ecotourism Summit and has co-facilitated sessions at ETC in past years. Jill earned a BA degree from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, majoring in Anthropology. She also holds a certificate in Travel Planning from Travel Careers, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, which supported her early career work as a travel agent. Jill has one son, who is currently living in Asheville, NC and working within the renewable energy field. She has a passion for nature, adventures on land and water, cultural diversity, gastronomy, experiential learning and enjoys sharing her interests in some of the most stunning and threatened landscapes on Earth.
Chris Campbell, Leading IT Solutions, is a Software Engineer, Linux Enthusiast, and People Person. He joined the ETC team in 2016. He is a jack of all trades balancing many hobbies and creative pursuits with a varietyprogramming projects. He is currently focused on custom LAMP stack applications and mobile development, but also has a strong foundation in Java and Python. In his free time Chris is passionate about soccer and techno. He also tries to balance his serious screen time with gardening and cooking. Each year he helps coordinate a Burning Man Theme Camp and is very active in the burner community beyond the plays. Based in Los Angeles and working remotely, Chris travels as much as his bank account will allow.
Barbara Rempp, Leading Faculty Coordination & Administration, is responsible for coordinating information and logistics of current speakers, research and development of speakers for future conferences, trip listings and facilitating the Jumpstart webinars. Rempp previously worked as an executive assistant and office manager for a Houston based corporation that represents a high net worth individual. She has worn many hats, including horse trainer and breeder, bookkeeper and office manager for a CPA, transcription clerk for the Montana State University. Rempp also worked as a veterinary technician for 14 years. She has a background in ranching and horseback guided trips into the Bob Marshall Wilderness and continues to manage her own expansive organic gardens. A native Montanan, Barb and her husband live in the beautiful Mission Valley in St. Ignatius, MT located on the Flathead Reservation.
Shilani Stipe, Special Projects Support, started working for ETC part-time in 2010 after graduating from high school. She has become an essential and valuable part of theETC Team. ETC is a great fit for Shilani as she loves to travel and learn. She has visited 8 countries with plans to continue her travels throughout her life. Shilani grew up in a ranching family and knows that working from dawn to dusk is a normal work day and often she can be found working on into the night in preparation for the annual conference. When not at a computer she is snowboarding, fishing, working on the farm or spending time with family and friends. She is a native Montanan and has lived most of her life beneath the shadow of the majestic Mission Mountains on the Flathead Indian Reservation.
Maria Gross-Kellomäki, Leading Destination Development, joined ETC in 2009 after a fulfilling career most recently as Director of international Markets for the Palm Beach County, FL CVB for 8 years. Mariabegan her career in the travel industry initiating tour operations in Easter Island and the Seychelles Islands for Lindblad Travel, Inc. Upon returning to the United States, Maria joined the University of Miami as Director of Development for the International Oceanographic Foundation (IOF), a 175,000-member organization, and led institutional development, sales, and marketing for its museum, Planet Ocean. During her 18 year tenure at IOF, Maria created IOF Sea Safaris, a special interest travel program for its members that emphasized education and conservation.
Enrique Velasco, Jr. is COLTUR Peru´s Director of Sales for North America. COLTUR is a third generation family-owned-and-run-since-inceptioninbound Tour Company based in Peru. He devoted the first fifteen years of his professional life to the financial industry. Because of the nature of his work, he did extensive traveling both domestic and abroad. Enrique has worked with his family’s company, COLTUR, for the past twelve years and absolutely loves traveling, meeting new people, developing relationships with clients (many of which turn into long lasting friendships) and being able to show his country to fellow travelers. Velasco represents the interests of foreign-based, in-country tour operators. www.colturperu.com
Barbara Tucker is the Director, Travel Program and Senior Advancement Officer at Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Barbara has been organizing tripsfor CMP since February of 2001. She has designed and tailored trips for CMP to many domestic and international venues and has worked extensively with CMP curators and experts from other institutions. Prior to joining CMP, Barbara had a career in the hotel industry. She graduated from the Hotel School of Lausanne, Switzerland and worked in hotels in Europe and New York before joining CMP first as Travel Program Manager, and then as Director of Individual Giving. Barbara speaks French fluently and serves as the President of the Alliance Française of Pittsburgh and President of the French Nationality Room at the University of Pittsburgh. She joined the Executive Advisory Council in 2019 and represents museum travel programs. www.carnegiemuseums.org
Kate Sanders is the Director for Alumni Programs and Alumni Group Travel at Oregon State University, where she is responsible for the association’s signature events and the travel program. Kate manages over 30 tours a year in addition to planning and operations for signature events and various alumni relations programs. She joined the Alumni Association in 2013 after planning presidential and university-level events at Oregon State University. Sanders was previously an event planner with Class Act Events, Inc. and a project manager and writer for Sea Reach Ltd. – a design and manufacturing firm of visitor centers, wayside exhibits and signage. Sanders also has a background in environmental education. Travel and tourism has always been part of her life, from family trips when young, living abroad, to work and personal travel today. Life stays adventurous and fun when she with her husband and two kids, trail running, touring, or being absorbed in art and photography projects. Sanders is a graduate of Colorado State University. www.osualum.com
Andrew Lockwood is President/CEO of Pacific Islands Institute (PII) based in Honolulu, Hawaii. His mother started the company in 1989 with his assurancethat he would join her after his Air Force commitment. He returned home to Hawaii and for over 25 years, has led the organization in its mission of providing positive cultural interactions, protecting and sustaining indigenous cultures and environments, and giving back to local communities. Expanding PII’s client base from affinity and school organizations to associations, boardroom and donor groups, Andrew enjoys matching the rich cultural and eco-resources of a destination with the needs of each client. Having traveled extensively throughout the islands of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia, he has built lasting relationships with industry suppliers to village chiefs through his authenticity and ethics. An Amherst College graduate with an MBA from Chapman University, Andrew also has his CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) and believes travel should have a multiplier-effect benefitting not only the traveler but also the people, local communities and environments of the place. He and his wife are passionate about travel, learning, and sustainability and have passed the appreciation for these interests on to their three children. www.ExplorethePacific.com
Shannon Fuller is the Assistant Director of Conservation Travel at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois. She oversees the development and implementation of the Shedd Adventures Travel Program working collaboratively with internal partners in Development, Marketing, PR, Conservation, as well as external travel operators to create and market mission-driven trips to the Shedd’s current and prospective donor audiences. She also manages the aquarium’s citizen science travel opportunities aboard their research vessel located in the Bahamas. Shannon started at Shedd six years ago and prior to her role in the Conservation department, worked in Marketing as Brand Manager. Shannon’s passion for aquatic life and experience as a SCUBA instructor led her to Shedd. She is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago. www.sheddaquarium.org
Kevin Conley is the Director of the Alumni & Parent Travel program for the University of Virginia. Conley began his career with the University over 15 years ago administrating academic travel seminars. Previously, Conley has worked in the computer industry in a company that produced encryption software and hardware, has helped create the Internet’s first emailed newspaper, “The Daily Brief,” and has served as a Military Intelligence Analyst and Russian Linguist with the U.S. Army. He has also, on occasion, been a ski bum and a beach bum, on separate occasions, of course. Conley earned his bachelor’s at Harvard and has done graduate coursework at the Curry School of Education at University of Virginia. www.alumni.virginia.edu/travel